Samantha - or Sam to Kelly and crew at BT - is not only a friend, but we joke that she's our Executive VP of Marketing, because you can literally bump into her and she'll start singing our praises. We love this girl and appreciate her enthusiasm for our business. Sam also made an absolutely gorgeous bride and this bridal profile is one we've been looking forward to since we started this series.

Sam Miller married Zane Faw in June of 2014 at an intimate ceremony of about 70 people in an open-air chapel overlooking a lake. Think: elegant, simple and joyful. "Before the ceremony, Zane and I were able to read letters that we wrote to one another and then we prayed together. It was a nice and quiet moment before all the excitement started. It was then time for the ceremony. My dad drove me up to the open- air chapel in our purple 1953 Ford Truck."

THE STORY
Theirs is a story worth telling. They met as middle schoolers and "went together" which means they held hands and teased each other. In high school, a course change led them to the same English class where they really began to "see" each other and fall in love. He asked for her help with some assignments and she obliged and before long they were dating. Zane proposed at Cascade Falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway on their third anniversary and as she continued through pharmacy school, they planned their wedding.

The story doesn't end with a rainbow and a truck receding into the sunset yet, though. Just days before the wedding, while Sam was in the process of finishing the decorations for the venue, she was in a car accident. While it was a minor one, Sam had all of the decorations, honeymoon suitcases, etc in the car and it shook her up, naturally. BT's Kelly even passed her on the road and stopped to make sure that she was OK. The person most shaken may have been Zane though. The couple agreed not to see each other those days before the wedding, but once he heard he went to her side and made sure she was alright and helped move items. 

THE DRESS
The dress she was searching for for her summer wedding needed to have a sweetheart neckline and an A-line shape and be around or under $1000. Those were the details that mattered most to her. While Sam was pretty open to trying on a variety of items at our shop, she ended up finding the one she wanted with those original details. No sleeves (June can be toasty), sweetheart neck and a lovely drape. 
"When I was at Bridal Traditions, Kelly made sure to point out that certain fabrics wouldn’t be as heavy as the dresses I was choosing. I hadn’t really thought of that until then. I have to say something about the amazing service I received from Kelly when shopping there. She really made me feel comfortable and we had a great time. I went to two other places after Bridal Traditions, and the service at those places didn’t compare to her service by far. Also, I had pictures of every dress I tried on from all 3 places. I am a very indecisive person. So I ended up showing Zane all the pictures and he picked out his favorite 2 or 3, which happened to be some of my favorites as well. The ones he chose were all from Bridal Traditions."

"The service Kelly provided played a huge role in my decision making process. I had been to BT for other weddings, so I already knew Kelly from those experiences, but she truly made my experience personal. She made me feel super comfortable when trying on dresses. We had such a good time. We made jokes and laughed and I never once felt rushed or pressured to purchase anything. She just wanted me to find the perfect dress. The other two places I went, I was just a time slot and I felt rushed and pressured to make a decision that very day. I knew I couldn’t make that important of a decision that quickly, so it made me uncomfortable. Kelly made an effort to understand my personality, which is something that most other bridal shops don’t do. Kelly has developed such a wonderful business at BT. You’re not a number, a time slot, or just another dollar. You are a bride and a friend when you walk into BT.
My experience at BT has led to a friendship with the owner, Kelly. I still go by and talk to her often. I recommend her bridal shop to everyone I know getting married. She truly is an amazing person and she has created a wonderful business that brings joy to so many. If you want excellent service and to have a good time when picking out your dress/bridesmaid dresses for the BIG day, then there’s no other bridal shop better than BT."
Sam is a keeper! Here's to many happy years, with Zane and in your life, girl. XO

or confusing string. 
​That little string........We've seen them near the shoulders inside the lining of fine dresses and off the shoulder shirts: those very slim, often satin, little strings used to keep the dress on the hanger and for keeping the shape of the shoulder or dress intact. Those strings are indeed just for hanging the dress and allowing it not to be stretched or misshapen and - to stay on a hanger! ​We're not judging you if you didn't know that. In fact - lots of people don't. We blogged about this 3 years ago and it feels like the time to revisit and clarify.

What you see below - and is really beautiful - is wrist strap used by brides to keep their trains from the dragging the floor after the ceremony. They are elegant and practical and are located at the bottom of the skirt part of the gown so that once around her wrist, the gown still has shape and flow, but isn't being stepped on by every Tom, Dick and Harry, er... coworker, cousin, and Tipsy Groomsmen. You know the cast of characters.... don't pretend like you don't!

Brides who choose strapless gowns NEED those hanger straps at the armpit/bustline, because you don't want to pinch your gown with a skirt hanger. And wrist straps are an alternative for brides who choose gowns with longish trains. Some choose to have bustles to keep their dresses from dragging, but a wrist strap is a lovely way to solve that problem as well. 

​Here's an example of a dress that has been bustled to keep nipped in and easier to move in. Bustles.......... that's a whole other blog, peeps.

Let's set the stage, er field........ with this adorable photo....
A rustic country wedding with a bride and groom - surname Farmer - surrounded by loved ones, animals and joy - how does this get better? It's like it was written by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

On April 15, 2017 - just over a year ago, Kristin and Brandon were married at Meadow Creek Venue surrounded by their family, friends, men in suspenders, livestock, laughter and gorgeous spring weather. 

"This sounds funny, but in the beginning of 2009, Brandon and I had a German class together, but he dropped it. Then he worked at a grocery store where my mother and I shopped. Every time we would check out he would make his way over to bag our groceries and try to speak German to me. Mom always said he was flirting. I was busy playing softball. Not paying any attention to boys. Until, we had a game at home and I saw my sister and her friend, which was of course Brandon’s cousin walking up the sidewalk. Wondering why the guy I met in German class and the grocery store was with them. At the end of the game Brandon had walked over to me telling me I played a good game. I could tell he was nervous, but it did not bother me, I was nervous to. After that day we were pretty much inseparable!"

Today, I am a Dental Assistant at Drs. Mayhew and Scheffler and Brandon, my husband, works at Appalachian State University. We currently live in Boone, NC and enjoy our summers at Topsail Island and playing with our fur baby Nyla who is a Siberian Husky. ​

Want to know more about Kristin and Brandon's wedding vendors? Here you go!
Village Jewelers- Boone NC
Bouquets Florist- Boone NC
Megan Travis Photography- Winston Salem NC
Meadow Creek Venue- Deep Gap NC
​Nancy Hardison (Aunt)- Wedding Cake
Chris and Enid Wells (Father of the bride, Mother of the bride)- Wedding tables and catering
Serendipity Hair Studio and Boutique- Carleen Greene- Hair Stylist- Boone NC
Serendipity Hair Studio and Boutique- Ceirra Murphy- Hair Colorist- Boone NC
Bride- Makeup
Styles by Anna- Bridesmaids Hair Stylist- Boone NC

When we last gathered around the fire to discuss wedding legends and the various traditions and superstitions - the Lore, if you will - we shared some of the more familiar questions people have about why we do what we do at weddings. 

​Today's selections are not only more random, they are more esoteric. Like why is the ring finger, The Ring Finger?

The fourth finger is the wedding ring finger because it was once thought that there was a vein in that finger that led directly to a person's heart. Sweet, huh? And engagement rings that contain sapphires are said to signify marital happiness. Pearls in engagement rings were once considered a NO NO, because pearls are the shape of tears.

Not yet engaged? Legend says single women will dream of their future husbands if they sleep with a slice of groom's cake under their pillows. You'll need roach motels, but your new fiancé can grab those from the store for you. 

And did you know? One old wives' tale states that if the younger of two sisters marries before her older sister, the older sister must dance barefoot at the wedding or risk never landing a husband.​

Ever wondered when we started having bachelor or "stag" parties? Get ready to feel smarter. They were first established (if the legend is true) in Sparta, Greece when the soldiers got married, they partied together and said goodbye to their freedom with a raucous party.

​The Best Man? In ancient times, men sometimes captured women to make them their brides. (Today, this is known as a felony.) A man would take along his strongest and most trusted friend to help him fight resistance from the woman's family. This friend, therefore, was considered the best man among his friends. In Anglo-Saxon England, the best man accompanied the groom up the aisle to help defend the bride. 

And after you "find the ONE who makes your heart smile," you have to pick a day to make your union official. In English tradition, Wednesday is considered the "best day" to marry, although Monday is for wealth and Tuesday is for health. And those same English sources of yore proclaimed that Saturday is the unluckiest wedding day - and it's the most popular by far. 

Ancient Romans studied pig entrails to determine the luckiest time to marry. Um, yeah. Makes you feel better about just getting married on Saturday and taking your chances, doesn't it?

​Finally, rain. Brides and grooms (and summer outdoor wedding planners) fear it the way contact wearers fear chopping jalapenos. But guess what. In some cultures, rain on your wedding day symbolizes fertility and cleansing. Couples who have their wedding day interrupted by rain tend to deliver healthy kiddos sooner rather than later. Want to know how to prepare for rain on your wedding day? Here you go!