This lovely woman is Noel Armstrong, and she and Groom Chase Johnson pulled off a perfectly amazing wedding (with some terrific and poignant DIY) in September of last year and BT was thrilled to play our part.

Noel met Chase at work, and if you've seen the series "The Office" you know that those relationships can not only be adorable but successful. Once they began talking, conversation led to meeting at the gym after work to then love and engagement. 

Due to Covid, these two decided to have their moment in their backyard and the weather supported that decision 100%. Noel and Chase want to be financially free and able to do what they want by the time they are 30 years old (several years away), so having friends and family contribute talents and offerings to the wedding, while scaling back the scope, made perfect sense. Decorations, food and centerpieces, the wedding cake and even their wedding rings were all part of the collaborative contributions.

The rings were incredibly special as they came from both Noel and Chase's families. 

Noel could be a model for wedding gowns and she made that clear on her wedding day and when she visited our shop. Her gown's lace and pale fabric underlay worked perfectly with her skin tone and created a gorgeous silhouette. 

What can we say about the back of this dress? It's epic, it's modern, it's tasteful but cool. Noel looked amazing. This bride knew what she wanted and after trying a suggested gown that had the styling details she wanted (lots of lace and no big poofy ballgown), she knew it was the one. It fit her figure and her budget. 

Her favorite details on her gown were "the back and the train. I still am in love with the train because of all of the details. The craziest part of the dress is that the trim formed to my body as if the dress was made exactly for me."

We're so happy for these two and hope that as soon as possible they can board a plane and head to their postponed honeymoon in Thailand! Congratulations and much love.

​*Photo credit: Katelynn Glenn

99% of dresses that you see in bridal magazines or online are not true white. We know, we know, it sounds like someone's advertising agenda or maybe a tricky use of photoshop. The truth is that "pure white" or "high white" wedding gowns are not as popular, and there are some legitimate reasons for this. You may think the bride is wearing white, but chances are, she's in ivory. 

Bright white gowns represented purity for centuries, but that mandate has all but gone out of style for good. Believe it or not, true white wedding gowns are simply TOO BRIGHT, especially with outdoor weddings. Pure white gowns actually have a blinding effect on the eyes, leaving guests and photographers squinting to view. We expect the groom to be blinded by his wife-to-be's beauty, not her gown.

You hear the name, picture a coffee drink and think "Mother of the Bride" maybe. The fact is, these colors often act as the underlayer for lace gowns or as an elegant option for brides who want to mix it up. Don't forget that skin tone plays its part, so these gowns offer a sense of the nude sheath underneath the decorative elements of the gown itself.

None of the dresses in this blog are pure white and yet each in the selection is completely elegant, memorable, gorgeous, and entirely bridal.

The bridesmaids all in a row help anchor the bride - not just with love, support and encouragement, but in alllllll of those photos you're going to get before and during the wedding. While the bride may be the star, an elegant line of similarly dressed maids completes the picture.

Some of the tried and true jewel and middling color wheel tones are still favorites. If you can name your palette, we can probably find the collection for your girls. Love a color and want to mix and match the styles? Totally doable with some of these new collections.

Most of the creativity with bridesmaids gowns happens at the neckline and there are options for all body types. With spring and summer weddings on the horizon, these gowns are sleeveless, but provide interesting bodice details, deep necklines, a variety of strap styles, structure and either detailed open backs or plenty of coverage if you're going traditional and modest.

And yes, ladies, pockets are still popular as are lovely front and side slits, 

Fabrics, colors and features... all of these gowns will make bridesmaids feel as special as the bride and they look beautiful on. Come see us at Bridal Traditions as you plan for your girls!

These two darlings above - Whitney and Logan - were married in September of 2020 at Williams Farm. They met in high school, but Whitney fell in love long before graduation. She told us that she watched him laughing at a party and knew he was the one. Sometimes that is all it takes. 5 years later, they said "I Do."

Whitney chose Williams Farm for the roaming horses, acres of beauty and rustic charm. She loved the location and especially working with Williams Farm's Sandra and Amanda, who helped her plan the entire year prior. The views were gorgeous for this outdoor wedding and for photos and wandering guests.

Whitney also worked with Dom's Bakery, Shew Ridge Photography and Brookside Flowers and praised each vendor's efforts to make the day perfect. 

Whitney wanted a gown that was off white and would work with a September wedding when the temps are still warm, but not hot. She ended up with a different style than she anticipated and was thrilled. She asked the bridesmaids who came to BT with her to each choose a gown (a fun idea by the way if you have trusty band of bridesmaids with good taste) and she would try them all on. It was BT's Owner Kelly who ultimately chose a gown, passed it to Whitney and described it as "royal." She told us that royal was exactly how she said she felt when she put it on. Of course, it WAS the one.

She told us that she loved the lace and the sleeves, but that it was the veil that she drooled over. Whitney selected a cathedral length with lace that matched her gown and she'd never seen anything so long or so elegant. 

"BT has always been close to me. I’ve been to Kelly many times throughout the years for prom and it was always a good experience. So of course I chose them when it came to my wedding! We got all of the bridesmaids dresses, the Maid of Honor's dress, Mother of the bride dress and all the tuxedos, ties & shoes were bought from BT."

Congratulations Whitney and Logan! Here is to a glorious 2021 and first year of marriage.

What to say? What should we say that doesn't diminish the profound loss, fear, division and upset that was 2020? It's easy to talk about it being a dumpster fire and it was. But it was also a struggle and there were members of our communities, our country and our world who suffered greatly. No humorous meme can overturn those truths. 

What we're choosing to do for our last blog of the year, though is just to celebrate what we can celebrate with confidence and joy, ...and that has everything to do with you guys.

So below is a slideshow of some high points and bits from the year that was...

We cannot thank you all enough for letting us be a part of your year, your prom, your dress shopping experience, your gown purchase, your wedding day, photo shoot or whatever part we played. We look forward to seeing more of you in 2021. Have a safe New Year's Eve and a restful New Year's Day. We love you!
- the BT Family

Kayla Mounce and Jacob McCoy were married on November 7th of this year at Charity Hill Baptist Church, followed by a reception at Little Elkin Church Fellowship Hall. Even for a traditional autumn ceremony in a church, the weather was 60 degrees and allowed for fun photographs outside. Jacob, a police officer, and his groomsmen, were photographed with their guns and Kayla and her bridesmaids posed outside of the church. 

Kayla shared that one of the sweetest moments from the ceremony was her flower girl (age 3) walking down the aisle and realizing that she hadn't scattered any petals. There were tears, but more cute than sad. Kayla said that she loved walking toward Jacob during the processional, knowing they were about to be husband and wife. She had a first look with her father that was touching and she and Jacob shared letters they had written each other before the ceremony as well. 

Kayla is a Natural Resource Conservationist at Wilkes Soil and is always up for a hike and eager to be in natural settings, so images of her in her gown, with Jacob for their engagement portraits and pre-wedding images are particularly glorious.

Congratulations to this sweet couple, and thanks so much for letting Bridal Traditions be a part of your big day!

Megan Green and Garrett Grogan were married in late September of this year at Big R Orchards Wedding and Event Venue. Beautiful couple, beautiful day and beautiful wedding party.

Ladies, there is more than one way to meet your partner in life, but starting as friends has so often led to success that we feel obliged to point it out again. Megan and Garrett were introduced by mutual friends and then they became best friends. Only later after they knew each other did they fall in love and realize that they wanted to make a life together. 

There was a call for rain, but during a year when the pandemic stole every headline and proverbially rained on nearly everything else, these two managed to coax the sun out. They were able to assemble a small group of people (many of whom they hadn't seen all year) to celebrate with them. The bride and her bridesmaids prayed together and then the couple said their vows near the water in what turned out to be a bucolic and lovely ceremony.

Congratulations Megan and Garrett! We hope your first year of marriage stays sunny, healthy and happy.

We love them, our bridesmaids and the brides we serve at BT love them too. In fact, brides choose them for just that reason - they are our friends, our sisters, co-workers, and peers. 

There were times when we only asked for two people to stand up for us at our weddings. Then we went through an era of needing a dozen girls. Now, we choose our favorite people (unless strong armed to include every cousin). These ladies should be clothed in splendor and never has there been a better time to be a bridesmaid. 

Bridal Traditions sends brides and bridesmaids here to get started and then to come see us. We buy collections from Kanali K, so you can check them out too.  

The styles for bridesmaids these days are more gorgeous, more varied and more interesting than they have ever been in the history of weddings and the rules are more loose too. Brides are keen to let their best girls wear what suits each one's particular body shape while still keeping with a color palette or theme. All hail the plurality of the new world. Let's all celebrate not being cookie cutters of each other.

We are encouraging BT brides who are going to marry in the spring or summer of 2021 to work with their bridesmaids and order bridesmaids' dresses NO LATER than December 19th, our last day of operation at BT. We will be closed from December 20th until the New Year and will reopen on Saturday, January 2nd. Orders can back up in the first months of the year, so getting your orders in is a smart move. It allows you time for alterations and breathing room is something everyone needs when you have other logistical items in your life.
​Don't forget that we're always here to help! 

Black gowns are here to stay, if only in the present and for the coming year. Black gowns and black accents add a twist on elegance for brides who want something unique. Don't knock it. It is indeed on trend and we've had lots of looks at these gowns in our boutique.

Believe it or not, capes are an addition to gowns and they are remarkably cool. There are also little add on boleros and other extras that you can add and then remove for the reception.

What was once only a "white only" proposition has now gone the way of the marketing firm and new names. This will continue in 2021. Brides are rarely choosing gowns in "white." Beige or cream is now considered the standard white, and there is still the desire for champagne, nude, buff and other skin tone related colors for the gown or for underneath the lace of a gown. 

At BT, we know our brides pretty well and provide the array needed for the curious and trendy, the traditional and the "out there." If you dream it, we will try to find it. In the meantime, our encouragement and advice is steadfast: find a gown that makes you feel beautiful, fits you comfortably and showcases you as The Bride you want to be.