By age 10, red-carpet-turned-wedding-dress designer Anne Bowen already knew how to drape fabrics. At 14, she created a stunning black skirt for one of her junior-high dances that, no exaggeration, could rock a runway today (note to Anne: dig that skirt out!). So it was no surprise to anyone who knew her, when Anne marched into Bergdorf Goodman in 2000 with a sexy cocktail gown and the high-end store bought it, despite its ‘lower price-point.’

While the collection turned out to be a best-seller for the mega-store, it  became a personal “Ah-Ha” moment for Bowen. “In designing the dress, I realized there wasn’t a black-tie gown available in chiffon for less than $1100,” Bowen recalls. “No offense to Valentino but  I  felt there was a need for a young, up-and-coming, woman to be able to buy high-fashion evening attire without breaking the bank.”

When Bowen made the decision three years ago to enter the bridal world, her mindset was very similar to 2000 when she saw a gap in the evening wear market. In bridal, she also saw a hole for the fashion-forward bride not looking to be a princess or overly frou-frou on her wedding day.  The bridal gowns she saw were either `overly storybook and frilly’ or `extreme’ high-fashion. “While I appreciate very much that Vera Wang did a black wedding dress (I  personally found it hysterical in a good way),” says Bowen, “I respect the bridal tradition, yet wanted to give it a modern edge. My brides are fashion-savvy who know want they want and are choosing body-conscious wedding gown silhouettes, and luxurious fabrics and crystals with red-carpet appeal.”

Bowen says she never set out to build a company but that the company just ‘happened’ as her designs caught hold. “I learned how to run the  numbers. I learned how to market. But I didn’t set out with the  intention of building a global network,”  says Bowen, whose wedding gowns are already being sold in the US, Europe and Asia. “I set out to create stunning, sexy, glamorous dresses. And I believe, strongly, that’s where it has to start – creating  from your soul and letting your imagination just pour out.“

Interestingly, sketching is the last (not first) task Bowen completes in her design sequencing. “My collections form in their entirely when I sit quietly without interruption,” says Bowen. “No noise. No phone calls. No texting. No email. Not even music. Only stillness, and in this stillness I can see the dress and silhouette; the fabric and how it drapes. And the sketching comes last.”

Semi-precious stones, and yes bling, are also part of the creative process. Bowen who designed a $5 million diamond-studded gown for charity (worn by Jules Asner on the red carpet) has a love for gems and uses stones like blue lapis, malachite, rose quartz and diamonds as inspiration for her color palette. Certainly, her 2013 couture wedding dresses, which she says ‘came to her effortlessly’ are proof that her red-carpet bridal vision has struck a chord.

Stand-outs include her show-stopping sequin-and-Swarovski and low-back, vanilla-chiffon

I remember the afternoon NJ bride Helene and her fiancé Jim stopped by our Bedminster, New Jersey bridal boutique. It was a cold, crisp winter day, and the sun was shining. As Jim relaxed on the sofa in our second-floor bridal shop, Helene went straight to the fitting room with a handful of wedding dresses. She found her ‘wow’ almost immediately in ‘Jade,’ a figure-flattering bridal gown with a dash of ‘bling,’ by designer Augusta Jones.

Helene’s visit to us was the first time she’d tried on any wedding dresses, so I advised her to take a breath, think, look a bit more, and assured her she still had time. But not too much. Her destination wedding (to Florida) would approach quickly.

She found her ‘wow’ almost immediately in ‘Jade’

A few weeks later, Helene returned to the bridal boutique to purchase her wedding dress (yes, “Jade“), and most recently brought her mother-in-law and two girlfriends for her first custom wedding dress fitting. This is always a fun appointment. I love watching the bride‘s face as she tries on her custom wedding dress, perfectly cut to her figure; and reaction of  friends and family in seeing the dress ‘on.’

Helene‘s friends and family had only seen pictures of her unique wedding dress so their reaction – and the energy of the appointment was especially light-spirited and fun. Overheard that day:

“Oh, it’s gorgeous.

“Beautiful.”

Look at the sparkles on the train.”

“The back is Stunning.

“Beautiful, Helene.”

“Exquisite.”

“I like the color.”

“Even her shoes are perfect, look at her shoes.”

At this point, a little step-dance from the bride in front of the mirror.

“You’re going to have to wear your hair up.”

“Flowers, no veil.”

“Look at how perfect it fits.”

“And don’t you just love the bling? She has to have the bling – or she wouldn’t be Helene.”

And then, the final stamp of approval. The gauntlet falls, chatter ceases, eye contact is made. Smiles. A moment of knowing between the bride and her bridal party.

The Bridal Boutique at Nan Romano is located at 432 Main Street, Bedminster, New Jersey 07921. Because we allot 1.5 hours for each bride to have time to try on as many bridal dresses as she likes, appointments must be pre-arranged. Call us at 908. 234.0090.

Recent summer-like days have brought all of us here in New Jersey outdoors. Between bridal gown appointments, I find myself gravitating to the deck of our NJ bridal boutique for just a few moments – pointing my face to the sun, savoring the warming rays on my skin. As new brides arrive for first-time appointments to try on couture wedding gowns and getting-married-this-summer brides return for their final wedding dress fittings, the subject of ‘tanning’ surfaces frequently.

To tan or not to tan is the question.

Many of my brides want that  ‘sun-kissed’ hint of color to add the perfect natural-glow to their walk down the aisle. But trying to tan too quickly (by overexposure to the sun or, worse yet, tanning booths as depicted recently in the news) leaves brides sunburned or at best looking like oompa-loompas. So for my New Jersey brides looking to get their tan on quickly, consider the following tips:

Tan gradually: Twenty minutes a day is all we need for our daily Vitamin D fix. It’s also the perfect time allotment for tanning gradually. Wear a high-quality sunscreen and protective sunglasses. And for style, add a cute baseball cap.

Hit the spa: In Indonesia and Bali specifically, brides used to engage in a 40-day ritual leading up to their wedding day. Every day for 40 days they were bathed, scrubbed, steamed and massaged to ensure soft and yes, ‘glowy‘ (via the use of the spice, turmeric) skin for their big day. A number of spas now offer the treatment, or brides can opt for an invigorating salt-scrub, followed by massage to get the circulation moving and skin glowing.

Try a high-quality bronzer: I’m not one to endorse products of any kind but I recently found one I love and is perfect for the east-coast NJ or NYC bride who wants to look sun-kissed without the sun.  “Sunless Tan” by Kerstin Florian International Skincare is a full-body moisturizer that delivers a rich and sun-kissed tan. SELF magazine recently awarded it the magazine’s top Healthy Beauty Award. Almond oil, known for its super-hydrating properties, is part of the ingredient deck. The Eforea Spa in nearby Short Hills is the only spa in New Jersey to carry Kerstin Florian spa treatments and products. And word is, the staff loves pampering brides and their bridal party. As do I.

Happy and safe tanning everyone….

The Bridal Boutique at Nan Romano is located at 32 Main Street, Bedminster, New Jersey. Because we allot 1.5 hours for each bride, all bridal appointments must be prearranged. Call us at 908.234.0090.  

Elizabeth St. John is no stranger to the design world. Growing up, Liz’s mother was a master tailor who worked for Neiman Marcus, as well as created custom pieces for high-profile clients in the Washington DC area.

“As a child I would love to spend time with my mom and was fortunate that she would take me into her studio and allow me to ‘play’ with pieces of fabrics and remnant cuttings she had left over,” Liz recalls. “She would patiently let me experiment with all the fabrics which ultimately would, in some form or another, turn into doll dresses of my own fashion.”

This innocent garment re-purposing paved the way for Liz – who formally launched her couture wedding dresses at the French Embassy in February 2010 – to become the leading eco-bridal designer in the country and one of only a few designers who manufacture all of their dresses in the US.

“Green” comes, however, with misconceptions, cautions Liz, who defines it as “any process that can be sustainable in the long run. There’s a misconception that all green wedding gowns must be made from leftovers or sub-standard materials or processes which couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I consider both our manufacturing process and our materials to be Green,” says Liz. “We do not overproduce – there is no assembly line where hundreds of thousands of bridal gowns are manufactured in advance (and ultimately discarded). We produce every single wedding dress specifically for each order, limiting waste and maintaining a higher standard of quality.

“Couture,” she continues, comes from the French word for sew – and traditionally the highest forms of sewing. “Haute-Couture has always stood for apparel that was cut and sewn by hand, one at a time, for each individual client locally by a trained artisan. “It doesn’t get any greener than that, so in a sense this is not really a trend in fashion but a throw-back to the original sense of the word.”

Liz’s Maryland open-space studio is filled with natural light and powered by wind. Interesting too are the fabrics used in her wedding dress design. “While many new fibers are being added to the green and sustainable classification – such as PET acetate satin fabrics made entirely from recycled plastic water bottles) – natural fibers, like silk, cotton and linen are both classic materials and sustainable and comprise the bulk of our fabrics,“ says Liz.

Not surprisingly, Liz says she’s inspired by nature. “I love organic design concepts – like those based on colors and color combinations found in nature like flowers and birds, to structural designs like those of trees and geologic formations,” says Liz. “And am lucky that my home is surrounded by nature and actually backs to a nature preserve so there’s always all kinds of wildlife nearby.”

Initially, it’s Liz’s design that first attracts brides – not the gowns’ eco-friendly status. “Most brides are surprised (then delighted) to find out the weddings gowns are eco-friendly,” says Liz. “I really want all of my gowns to be dresses that brides want to wear – feminine, refined, modern. My bride is a confident woman.“

Liz is not only friendly to the earth but also to numerous charities including the Capital Breast Care Center (which provides free medical screening and mammograms to underserved communities in the DC Metro area); and RedApes.org (which operates several Orangutan orphanages & rescues ill and mistreated orangutans throughout southeast Asia); The Small Cat Conservation Alliance (which helps protect some of the most endangered small wild cats throughout the world) and The Black Fish Organization (working to eliminate illegal drift-net fishing throughout the world). She also supports multiple schools and organizations with fundraising efforts and has a soft-spot for military brides.

“Several of my models are active duty – I feel a special bond with these women and especially enjoy being a small part in helping transform them from standard GI to beautiful feminine bride,” says Liz. “I love the idea of the `strong yet beautiful’ modern women.”

A year ago – like many viewers around the globe  – I was glued to my ’telly,’ with a watchful eye on yes, the dresses. The bride’s. Her ‘mum‘s.’ Sister Pippa’s. And the entire bridal party. In watching the  postcard-perfect entourage arrive at Westminster Abbey, I had no idea that two of the women behind the scenes that day – tying bows and smoothing the flower girl dresses they’d designed  -  would be carried in my New Jersey bridal boutique less than one year later.

But life is funny that way. You never know…

I met Nicki Macfarlane at bridal market in New York City in October 2011, and debuted her flower girl collection – including the `Eliza’ modeled after the flower girl dresses she made for The Royal Wedding (same puff sleeves and lace trim) – in January 2012. This past weekend, a flower girl, in for her fitting of ‘Amanda’ dress by Nicki MacFarlane – summed it up perfectly. When told that the designer of her dress was the same as for the Royal flower girls, she smiled matter-of-factly: “So that’s why I feel like a princess.“

A few days ago, I caught up with Nicki Macfarlane and Charlotte, who reflected back on the day, and how life has changed since….

Nan Romano: The Royal Wedding. A year ago this time. Take us back. What were you doing? Thinking? Was excitement building? Or was it panic?

Nicki Macfarlane: This time last year we were on lock-down in our home, working through the night, in front of back-to-back episodes of CSI, to put the finishing touches to the dresses. Charlotte and I were holding our breath, waiting for the big day, not least because we were desperate for all of our friends and family to know our amazing news.

Nan Romano: What was it like working with Kate Middleton? Her Mum? And how were you selected to design the flower girl dresses?

Nicki Macfarlane: I received a call from Carol Middleton, who’d been referred to us, and received confirmation (from Catherine) that we’d been commissioned a few weeks later. We were actually on a photo shoot for our latest collection on the day Charlotte received the call from Catherine and so we had to hold our excitement in because we could not tell a soul. That was pretty hard to do, and we certainly became experts at telling little fibs over that period but hopefully my friends have forgiven me by now.

Catherine and her family had a very strong vision of what they wanted the bridal party to look like so, really, they were a joy to work with. They very much wanted something quite traditional, elegant and sophisticated so they opted for a combination of classic, ivory silks with a pale-gold sash to match the pageboy’s trousers.

Many of our signature styling was included such as the big bow at the back and the pretty puffed sleeves. The silk satin ghazar that we used in our flower girl dresses was the same as that used in Catherine’s own bridal gown and Pippa’s bridesmaid dress. Some of the details were reflected from the bridal gown, such as the lace trim, even though we had no idea of what Catherine’s dress would look like – that was kept a secret, even from us.

Designer Nicki MacFarlane Sketching the Royal Dresses

Nan Romano: What was the actual wedding day like?

Nicki MacFarlane: On the wedding day, Charlotte and I were both at The Goring Hotel very early in the morning so that we could dress the four little girls, and then Charlotte was taken to Westminster Abbey where she made sure that the bows and dresses looked perfect for the children’s walk down the aisle. We both then went to Buckingham Palace to ensure the dresses were camera-ready for the official photographs and the balcony appearance. It was the most incredible, emotional day and I’m still so proud to have been a part of it.

Nan Romano: How did the Royal Wedding change your life?

Nicki Macfarlane: The Royal Wedding has enabled us to do things a lot faster than we’d originally planned. This time last year we were in the UK only. Now, we are in 12 countries. We’ve also been able to expand our range to include The First Holy Communion collection which came about because a lot of people and retailers were inquiring about adapting our flower girl collection. We initially launched the new range in Dublin, Ireland and so far it appears to be going very well. Up until this season, we have specialized in flower girls but from May we will have a collection for older girls. The main difference is that teenagers are more discerning and fashion-conscious and so the dresses we’ve designed reflect catwalk styles whilst sit comfortably alongside the flower girl collection. Basically, our feet haven‘t touched the ground since April 29, 2011.

Nan Romano: How did Nicki Macfarlane, the brand, get started? And what is it like to work together as a mother-daughter team?

Nicki Macfarlane: I’ve always loved needlework, thanks to the influence of my mother and even won a prize for it when I was at school – an award from Prince William’s great grandmother when I was only 15. I’ve been making children’s wear for 40 years but it was only in 2005 when a client asked me to make 22 dresses for her wedding that I realized there was a gap in the market for quality bridal wear for children, and so the brand `Nicki Macfarlane’ was started.

Charlotte: Working with my mother is amazing. She’s creative, hardworking and knows this business inside out so I’m constantly learning. We have a lot of fun together.

Nicki Macfarlane: We make a great team. We live 150 miles apart, which means that we’re not on top of each other and allows me to be a mother and grandmother when we do meet. We have exactly the same vision for the company, as well as having the same taste in style and fabric. We speak on the phone a lot, but it’s usually about a combination of business decisions and whether my granddaughter has had a good day at school. We also inspire one another. I’m very influenced by nature. Many of the colors we use are reminiscent of a lovely warm summer garden – we’ve even named the colors to reflect this, Pink Champagne, Lawn Green, Strawberry and Wisteria to name a few. Our new collection has the most beautiful burnt orange color that we have named Sunset.

Charlotte: I like to browse the fashion magazines and see what styles are featuring on the catwalks. I think that bridal wear should be able to take current trends and use them to update their collections whilst still maintaining a classic elegance that will never outdate – that’s what we aim for. The Maggie dress in our current range is the perfect example of taking a current trend – 50s, belted, full-skirted dresses and making it into a bridesmaid dress that will suit every shape and age – even fussy teenagers.

Nan Romano: I adore working in the bridal industry and I can tell you do as well. What do you love most about designing for this world?

Nicki Macfarlane: Being involved in arguably the most important day in a girl’s life and being able to design dresses using the most beautiful fabrics and colors is quite simply wonderful. And when you see the little girls’ faces as they try on their new dresses, you know that this is the best job in the world.

Nan Romano: Describe Nicki Macfarlane in three words or less? Nicki Macfarlane: Tired, tired, and happy (me). Elegant, unique and beautifully timeless (the brand).

The Bridal Boutique at Nan Romano, located in Bedminister New Jersey, is the only bridal boutique in the state to exclusively carry the Nicki Macfarlane flower girl collection. A flower girl, first birthday and christening-dress trunk show, featuring Nicki Macfarlane dresses, is being held May 18-20. Call 908.234.0090 to make an appointment.

“My heart was set on [the August Jones] but I figured why not try on a few other styles,” says Carolina. “It was fun.“

 When else do you get the chance to play bridal-gown dress-up?

And then, the unexpected.

“I saw the Modern Trousseau (Piper) – it was so big, so ballroom, so opposite the A-line and much more plain than the dress I’d come to try. I put it on and fell immediately in love. We added a sparkly belt, then a super-long Chantilly lace cathedral veil. I’m getting married in a church – my family is Spanish and Dominican Republic and very Catholic – so I wasn’t quite sure about wearing the strapless (Piper),” Carolina continues. “But the long veil covers my shoulders.”

I just feel so beautiful. Really gorgeous. I can’t wait to wear it.

Fortunately, Carolina and groom Ryan Meo (who’ve been dating for four years) don’t have to wait much longer. Their wedding is only weeks away now – June 8, 2012. The couple met working on Wall Street, but bonded, Carolina laughs, over fantasy football.

Fantasy is obviously a theme for the couple. Following their fantasy wedding and reception in New Jersey, they’re jetting off to an over-water bungalow at The W Hotel in the Maldives.

Nice!

Real Bride Ashley Gretina: “I was attracted to SJ Couture. The dresses were different, not the usual strapless or mermaid you see everywhere. But I didn‘t expect the designer to be there. The cat greeted us on the deck, Nan personally led us upstairs, served us mimosas, I wasn‘t expecting that. She told me to look through the gowns and select as many as I wanted, that there was no rush. The experience was so personal, so lovely.

Every time I talk about that day, it makes me happy.

“Jeanne was there too, again not expected. I saved her dresses until the end but of course had no idea that the first Jeanne dress I tried – Wendy – would be my dress. The minute I put it on, I felt tall, elevated, beautiful. It accentuated all the right parts. I didn‘t know immediately ‘this was the dress.’ But I did know I didn’t want to take it off. Jeanne encouraged me to sit down in the dress, watch how the dress fell, folded. It looked so delicate and romantic. Jeanne spoke to me about her inspiration, the fabric, the low-low back and I could see that this dress – and all of her dresses – were her babies, something she cared deeply about.”

“I tried on two more dresses afterward, then asked if I could put Wendy back on. This time I watched the reaction of my family, and knew it was a special dress. At that point, Nan went downstairs for an appointment (I’d been there two hours already) and Jeanne excused herself, told me to sit awhile. I hung out with my family for about 30 minutes more, still wearing and talking about the dress. Wendy had all of the elements I wanted: it was unique, romantic and sexy with the back so dramatic and low. I called for Jeanne to come back…”

By the time Nan returned, we were having one giant cry-fest.

SJ Couture Designer Jeanne Hankerson: “Ashley tried on an lot of gowns and looked beautiful in every one of them. She was going for straps and all-over lace, she was adding belts and sashes. But when she came out in Wendy – everyone was speechless. There was a sparkle in her eye and she didn’t need to add anything to the dress. There was no lace, no bling. We talked for awhile, and then I left them alone. After a half-hour or so went by, I was asked to come back in. Ashley told me that she‘d been looking for the perfect dress that would make her feel so special standing next to her fiancé. She told me that she’d found something that wasn’t in every magazine and that no one else had. And that it was my dress. Wendy. She said she wanted to tell me first. Before anyone else. Because as special as finding the perfect dress was, meeting the designer of the dress was even more so.

“I started to cry. Ashley started to cry. Her mom and sister started to cry and by the time Nan returned, we were having one giant cry-fest. This was the first time I‘d ever witnessed a bride fall in love with and ‘find‘ one of my dresses and Holy Cow, I didn‘t expect to feel this way.

My experience with Ashley has completely changed how I design.

“I designed my daughter‘s wedding dress so I had that intimate experience with her. But for someone I‘d never met before to ‘get‘ the connection and feel I put into the dress was surreal. My experience with Ashley has completely changed how I design. I’m designing my third collection now, and being with Ashley that Sunday afternoon in March has added new dimension and new emotion to my work. Feeling what Ashley experienced and also watching other brides during my time in the boutique brought a sensitivity and a vulnerability and a lighter sense to my design. The emotion fed me. And changed who I am as a designer. And why I do what I do.”

Nan Romano: Ashley left our boutique not only with her perfect (Wendy) dress, but also an autographed copy of the SJ Couture catalog. Yes, Jeanne Hankerson, you’re a rock star, and we are so pleased to have your new-arrival gowns in our store. We also look forward to your Fall collection, inspired by our own real-bride, Ashley, who‘s going to look beyond-stunning on her long-awaited wedding day.

Paris and San Francisco are the two cities that continuously inspire wedding dress designer Amy Kuschel. “I love Paris, have visited many times,” says Amy. “It’s such an inspirational city – the art, the culture, the architecture, and even the language, it is so romantic.”

And San Francisco – the city she now calls home? “San Francisco is just so beautiful, so hip, modern and alive,” Amy notes. “We’re spoiled by good food, surrounded by water and mountains and cool people – really interesting brides. It’s a city with a lot of texture. Our 2011 Collection was inspired by San Francisco “Then and Now.” It was fun to explore the history and to sit back and watch the modern-day city. San Francisco is a great place to design and call home.”

Amy’s first trunk show with us will be April 20-22

As a child, growing up on Lake Erie in western New York – Paris and San Francisco (as well as the idea of fashion designing) were far from Amy’s mind. She dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. But in time Amy applied to the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), bought the nicest sewing machine she could afford (which she still uses) and nearly three decades later is still designing.

No one is more surprised than Amy herself to have landed in the wedding-dress world. Amy was already established in her career as a fashion designer when she fell in love with now-husband, Bill, and found herself in need of a wedding dress. “I really wanted to stumble upon something fabulous,” says Amy. “I remember finding a few simple dresses that were quite boring, and a few beautiful gowns that were over-the-top expensive. I decided to design a dress, although I was so busy at work and planning our wedding that it wasn’t my first choice.”

As she learned more about the process, however, “I was surprised to find myself so drawn to this magical world of wedding gowns,” says Amy. “I love the intricate design, the couture quality and construction, the ability to use incredible textiles – French lace, Italian silks, supple silk chiffon, crispy organza. The design elements are so important. The dress is so important,” Amy continues. “It’s really quite a process and quite different from anything I’ve designed before. The ability to focus on fit and cut and silhouette is exciting for me. Previously, I was designing consistently with monthly product deadlines, ready-to-wear fashion. Now I’m designing one bridal collection a year, but so much thought goes into each dress.”

I love the intricate design, the couture quality and construction, the ability to use incredible textiles – French lace, Italian silks, supple silk chiffon, crispy organza.

Enter Amy’s Union Square – NY-style loft – studio and it’s easy to see exactly how much thought and work truly does go into each of Amy’s creations. The studio spans two floors in a six-story building and features a light-filled, airy, open-space showroom plus full-scale production from etchings to final gown. Every dress is made by hand, one by one, starting with pattern making – “which dare I say, is the hardest part of the gown-making process,” says Amy. “We’re constantly reviewing our gowns on the dress forms as they’re being draped and pleated. Our seamstresses are so highly skilled, its amazing to see them putting a dress together. Everything is custom made, but not custom designed. We design a collection that we believe in and then make each bride’s order one by one. No surprises.”

Amy describes her gowns as “elegant and personable with a feminine twist,” and her bride as “hip and practical who wants to look amazing but not like a princess, not too sweet, and probably not bedazzled,” says Amy. She wants to look spectacular, showing off her shape, her personality, her good taste.

We don’t bury her in a dress. We want her to radiate.

Amy’s first trunk show with us will be April 20-22 in the boutique and I am personally counting the days until the dresses arrive.

When pressed to define her favorites from her 2012 Collection, Amy admits difficulty. “They’re all so different,” she says. “And do I like French lace better than 4-ply silk crepe? It all depends on the bride and her wedding. I love lace for its personality and texture. Rita, one of my favs from 2012 is so sophisticated and elegant. But then there’s Audrey, so charming and demure, a very different feeling from the confidence of Rita. And Margaret Ann, another personal fav, is simple and effortless, yet glamorous and sexy. Gretchen is tailored and a bit preppy, with a figure-flattering trumpet silhouette. Dramatic yet down to earth. Honestly I’m terrible at picking favorites,” she laughs. “Each gown is designed with a purpose in mind, a personality, a place where she fits in. So how can I possibly choose Pearl over Love Story?

How indeed? It’s best to see the Collection in person. But do be sure to call ahead for your appointment, 908.234.0090.

Last week, during our SJ Couture Trunk Show, SJ designer Jeanne Hankerson brought not only a collection of gorgeous dresses. But also a new train (of thought).

Detach it.

We’re talking the wedding dress train.

On a number of her gowns – The Grace especially, a romantic, slim-fitting sleeveless gown that crisscrosses in the back and has a slit up the leg – Jeanne added a simple, flowing detachable train made from chiffon. Airy and light, the train touches, then sweeps, the floor, and is hooked into a jewel-encrusted line of roses.

“Many brides want a train,” Jeanne explained, “But they don’t necessarily want a bustle and so the detachable train is perfect. It doesn’t take away from the dress, it’s an accessory really. Many brides want a train for the ceremony but not the reception.”

Although the wedding dress train debuted in the 1400s in France, it was England’s Queen Victoria who traditionalized it. In her 1840 wedding, the Queen wore a white gown followed by an 18-foot train. The length of the train quickly became a status symbol – the longer the train, the higher the status. When the late Princess Diana married in 1980, her train was 25-foot long. Kate Middleton’s Royal wedding-dress train was nearly 10 foot.

Many brides want a train but not necessarily a bustle.

As wedding-dress trains (or ‘tails’ as some call them) have transitioned into the mainstream, the bustle has become the standard method for putting the extra yardage of laces and satins up and out of the way following the ceremony – using either hooks-and-eyes, or buttons. But as more and more brides are favoring smaller trains or even no trains at all, a number of  designers are offering alternatives. Among my exclusive designers, SJ Couture and Jessica Fontaine both offer detachable trains while Modern Trousseau and Amy Kuschel do short trains.

“When I design my wedding dresses I try to think about all types of brides and what they may want,” Jeanne continues. “I’m not a person who would want a long train that would be bustled. I’d want no train at all, or something simple, flowing, and detachable.”

If the air moves, the train moves and I love the simplicity and beauty of that.

SJ Couture’s detachable trains are definitely a welcome departure from the sometimes-fussy bustle. They are also fun. The flow of chiffon is easily removed, or if the bride chooses, can stay on all night – simply by tossing it across her arm while dancing. It’s feather light.

“I specifically chose chiffon for its lightness and ethereal quality,” says Jeanne. “If the air moves, the train moves, and I love the simplicity and beauty of that. Organza works in a similar way.”

I  see her everyday. The excited bride.

Blissful.

In Love.

Planning every detail of her wedding.

Twirling in front of the mirror…loving her dress….

And I remind her to remember this feeling – not stress as her wedding-day approaches.

Easy for me to say of course. And so I offer this tangible tool, passed to me by a yogi friend. So very simple really:

When the world seems to be spinning too fast…

Just  Stop.

Pause.Get Still.

That’s it. That’s all you have to do.

Hit the pause button.

Breathe.

Take a minute.

Have a moment.

Don’t tell yourself to breathe. Just breathe.

Your body knows how…