If you are a follower of Bridal Traditions, then you know that we pride ourselves on curating selections of gowns priced at or under $1,000. It's true: you can fall in love with and look amazing in a gown that is not the price of your first car. Ladies say yes to their dress at our boutique every day. 

Well, we've added three new collections that not only meet that same criteria, but are absolutely elevated in their style, detail, structure (we don't "DO" online gowns that fall apart) and elegance. Take this gown below from the Omelie collection. Does it not look like modern Grace Kelly or something a modern European bride would wear? It's demure in neckline, but it could go to church buttoned up, or become boho with its floral pattern. SWOON!

Omelie is a private collection with uniquely styled gowns priced just under $1K. These dresses are not only beautiful, they look way more expensive than they are.

The lace details in the Metropolitan are far from traditional, the cut-outs, short fluttery sleeves and long sweeping medieval sleeves show that the bride wanted her gown to be out of the ordinary. Each dress looks and feels custom.

We don't throw around the word perfect, because weddings - much like gown shopping - have elements of the unexpected and can be fraught with problems, indecision and lots of changing your mind. That said, this lovely person and bride we're featuring - Sequoia - told us her wedding was a close to perfect as she imagined. 

Sequioa and Wendal met in college at UNC-Greensboro in 2012 and became fast friends while living in the Honors Dorm. It was not long before they were going out together in groups and then just the two of them. During their junior year, they had the opportunity to study abroad and took advantage of it, with Sequoia in Northern Ireland and Wendel in Scotland. During that year, they were able to visit each other in the UK and also travel to France, Spain and all over England as well. 

After graduation, they started three years of a long distance relationship when Wendel moved to Connecticut to work for Traveler's Insurance. Now, they are located in Charlotte, with Wendel at Traveler's and Sequoia training to be a Registered Dietician. 

that looks like it was made for her. We lost count of how many people commented to us that her dress looked as though she were the only bride for it. Slim, capped lace sleeves, elegant with the right amount of sheen. Sequoia is a goddess in that dress!

This bride came to us knowing that she wanted satin, no sleeves, but not strapless and a dress that she could dance in that was both fitted and flattering but not heavy. She wasn't interested in lace for the same reason some girls don't want it. They think that it's too old-fashioned. Ladies, those days are over. The right lace on the right dress can be an absolute game-changer and we have story upon story of brides who've changed their mind about an idea after trying on a gown.  

Congratulations to Sequoia and Wendel and all the best in your new adventure in life together!

We would like to interrupt your previously scheduled time allotted for gown shopping, venue searching, DJ vetting, hors d'oeuvre tasting and Pinterest pinning to show you what could possibly be your wedding, yes YOUR WEDDING, if you so choose.
All it takes is imagination, will power, convincing your parents (or paying yourself), and a penchant for going your own way. These folks did and so could you. 

When Zombies Attack, ... or The Walking Wed. We're not sure we get this one, but for Halloween, yes! Here's the little secret: if you're going to do it - commit totally.

Above - the over-the-top Baroque era. Think of Versailles and the French Revolution .... right before the lower classes rose up and beheaded them all. Nothing says "wedding" like excess... and a guillotine. Seriously though, these two look pretty amazing.

Below - inspired by David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly in the 1986 movie Labyrinth. We'll just call it fantasy and leave it at that. 

When it comes to themed weddings, Disney has nearly cornered the market. The Little Mermaid below, complete with shocking red hair, mermaid style gown and groom holding a trident.  

Comic books, Comicon festivals and conventions, ... say what you will, but graphic novels and comics have taken over theaters and our imagination. If you feel heroic, just go ahead and embrace your comic spirit animal, like Captain America. 

Below, in the same vein are video games and these two chose a wedding based on the World of Warcraft. And let's face it: they both look like they won.

Finally, nothing puts the fantasy in a themed wedding like Lewis Carroll and his iconic, if not trippy "children's" novel, Alice in Wonderland. This couple nailed it, from the hats, to the clock and flowers to the mushrooms. As The Queen says, sometimes, you have to "believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast" to make magic.

​For your wedding, you decide if a theme is impossible or a dream!

Welcome to El Morro in Old San Juan, where this gorgeous couple below became Emily and Kyle Weatherman in late June of this year. Their wedding pictures are beautiful and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate their marriage and highlight bride Emily. 

El Morro is a National Monument that protects over 2,000 inscriptions and petroglyphs, as well as Ancestral Puebloan ruins. They chose this spot because of its beauty and since it is a national monument, with a fort and tons of eucalyptus, there was no need for decor or a theme. The place spoke for itself. 

"We got married at 8:30 AM- the fort is now a government park which opens to the public at 9Am so we got married before hours for more privacy. I was told by the park ranger we were the first and only couple he knew of to get married before hours, which I thought was pretty neat. Most people get married after hours but I wanted us all to beat the heat and humidity and also for our guests to have the rest of the day to enjoy their time in PR. We had a small brunch reception to follow back at the Caribe Hilton (where we were all staying) and when we finished with our reception we all met at the pool and spent the rest of the afternoon celebrating."
Brides-to-be: take note! If you don't want a fully traditional wedding where the day or evening is dominating by a schedule, this is the way to go!

These two met in the 7th grade and shared mutual friends and moved through high school together. After graduation, Kyle joined the navy and was stationed in Jacksonville FL. while Emily attended college. An out of the blue FB message reunited them in 2013 and they turned a few messages into an ongoing conversation. In December of that same year, Kyle returned home and asked Emily to be his girl friend. 3 weeks later he was deployed for 7 months but they have been together since.

Many happy returns you guys and much love from the gang at BT!