Strut Bridal

Megan and Nathan at Boojum Tree

2013-05-11T09:42:00-07:00

Megan and Nathan celebrated their nuptials at Boojum Tree in Phoenix on November 10th, 2012. They had a formal affair for 125 guests. Megan wanted a classic yet romantic wedding dress with a full skirt. Photos by Drew Brashler Photography.

She wore a dropped waist satin ballgown with 3D lace on the bodice and skirt. The skirt also had beading on the lace with a scalloped hem. Megan added a fingertip length veil with blusher and a tiara, also from Strut (we love adding accessories!).

To view more photos from Megan's wedding, check out her album on our Facebook page.

Megan's colors were dark purple, lilac and silver. We love the fresh greenery added to her floral arrangements! Check out the bit of texture added to her cake:

It looks like it was a beautiful event! Thanks, Megan, for sharing your photos with us. Best wishes to you and Nathan!

Morgan Traveled the Country--and the World--for Her Wedding

2013-04-18T11:37:00-07:00

Remember that amazing Justin Alexander tea length wedding dress that set off the tea length wedding dress craze here in the US? Like many brides back then, Morgan LOVED that gown (#8465) and thought it was "the one". But she couldn't find it in a size she could try on. So Morgan, a chef, flew from Newburgh, Indiana to visit Strut and try on the plus size tea length wedding dress. Well, we put her in others, too, just for fun, but she knew it was the perfect wedding gown the second she put it on.

Morgan and Erick were married January 7th, 2012, in Panama.

Morgan wrote us:

As you might remember we got married in Panama....that's why we look so hot. There is a picture of the church, and also a good one of all the girls in their traditional dresses for the wedding. Oh and some funny ones too. It was a blast we were married about 11 am.....and then we got to the party/reception at my uncle's cantina at 3ish in the afternoon....our family had local ladies cook for us, there was about 250 people there (mostly family) and they feed us twice. We ate, drank, and danced into the night. We left around two in the morning.....the next morning we stopped by the cantina for some beers on the way to the beach and there was still some people there from the wedding still having a good time. Man they know how to have fun down there. My dress was perfect....we shortened it about three inchs and took out one whole layer of crinlen (?).....I will have to admit I have put it back on since the wedding just to see it. It fit who I am and also where we were getting married.....I love telling the story, it was not a typical wedding by any means but it was my favorite... Thank you so much for helping with my dress. We didn't have a photographer...so these are all family photos!! hope you like.

Morgan C.
Newburgh Indiana

It looks like this wedding was so much fun! Congratulations to you both!

TREND ALERT: Fancy-back Wedding Dresses

2013-04-15T17:38:00-07:00

We just came back from the Fall Bridal Market (we shop in the spring for gowns for fall, which arrive late summer) and fell in love with some of the wedding gowns with fancy backs on them. Some featured beautiful lace, others intricate beading on a delicate backing. Here are some couture designer wedding dresses that show off this trend in the recent Brides magazine:

These gowns are subtly sexy but can be tough to do as a plus size wedding dress for two reasons:

Let's not mince words: back fat. Yes, not all women have those stubborn areas on their sides and back, but if you do, these low back gowns don't offer any support or coverage for those areas. Some backless wedding gowns cover more than others, though, so they're worth trying on. We just want our brides to feel completely comfortable and confident on their wedding day, so if that's an area of concern, then let's stick to a gown with more coverage.
Foundations. Proper foundations can make all the difference in the fit of a gown. Putting "the girls" up where they belong can change the whole shape of your body! So these backless gowns can be tough to wear if you're a bride that needs to wear a bra. Some options are finding a very low back long line bra (not impossible, but difficult to find in some sizes) or adding bra cups to the front of the gown for more support. Still, most of us wearing plus size wedding dresses need more support and love the shaping that long line bras give. So just know you'll have limited options in these backless wedding gowns.

But don't despair--we can help you get this look on nearly any wedding dress. We recently ordered a special lace piece that can be added to any dress to give it that keyhole back look--but it works with our gowns that have a higher back to them. We'll be able to get it beaded or un-beaded, and in a couple of different kinds of lace.

You can get that illusion neckline look by adding fabric to the bodice and back of any dress. We can buy matching fabric, appliques and even beading so it matches your wedding gown perfectly.

Brides can even buy a bolero jacket in a variety of fabrics. If you don't want the jacket to look like a separate piece, then your seamstress can sew it right to the bodice of your wedding dress.

If you love the look and want to know how to make it work on your wedding dress, just ask your Strut Stylist for ideas!

NEW DRESS ALERT: Allure 9018 Lace Mermaid Wedding Gown

2013-04-13T15:15:00-07:00

The lace trend continues to be hot in wedding gowns, but now weddng dress designers are adding a lot more sparkle to their lace wedding dresses. One of our favorite new wedding gowns in the Phoenix store is Allure 9018. Here's a photo of the model in the gown:

Allure describes this as a mermaid gown, but it's fitted only to the mid thigh before it flares out. The dress comes in light gold (pictured above), ivory, and white.

We love this as a plus size wedding dress because the construction of Allure gowns allows for outstanding fit. And since the Strut Stylists love to try on gowns (we say it's so we know they fit, wink, wink), and because you love to see how gowns look on plus size women, here you go:

Clearly this would work better as a plus size wedding dress on someone that is also a bit taller, but we love the shape it gives. Even more, we adore the beaded lace detail. The bottom of the skirt is just incredible! Because you can't see beading detail well on the Allure website, here's a close up:

There is also beading on the top of the sweetheart bodice. We put this plus size lace wedding gown on with a mermaid slip to give the skirt more shape. Give us a call if you'd like to try on the Allure 9018 lace mermaid wedding dress!

Elaina's Wedding at the Windmill Winery

2013-04-11T08:07:00-07:00

Elaina and Brian were married October 28th, 2012, at the Windmill Winery in Florence, AZ. The setting is stunning--couples can get married outside with a backdrop of brick arches.

Elaina came to Strut looking for a wedding gown with lots of detail and that would show off her waist. She bought a dropped waist satin ballgown with fully beaded and embroidered top and detail on the skirt and train.

Elaina's wedding colors were peach and green. We love the sash she added to the flower girl's dress! Her bridesmaids wore sage green, chiffon empire style dresses.

Elaina's reception was held inside at the winery. It's a beautiful rustic building!

To see more photos, check out Elaina's photo album on our Facebook page! Photos are by Carrie Evans Photography and Elaina's cousin. Congratulations and best wishes from your friends at Strut!

Ronee and Tyler at Tlaquepaque

2013-04-08T15:27:00-07:00

When bride Ronee shopped at Strut a year ago, she was looking for a fitted wedding gown that would show off her curves. She loved ruching and a sweetheart neckline. Stylist Stephanie found her an amazing gown with organza ruffled skirt with swirled flower.

For their October 27th, 2012 evening nuptials at Tlaquepaque in Sedona, Tyler wore a black tux, and Ronee added a black sash to her gown. Her bridal party wore black dresses and also carried red and purple rose bouquets.

Ronee's cathedral length veil added drama to her stunning gown. We just love seeing curvy women in fitted dresses, and Ronee really rocked hers! Her wedding photographer was Mandy Reed with Mi Amore Photography.

Congratulations to Ronee and Tyler! Thanks, Ronee, for being a Strut Bride!

Lindsay's Flagstaff Wedding--Cameron & Kelly Studio Pics!

2013-04-03T14:46:00-07:00

Lindsay was just a dream bride to work with. She was referred to us by Strut Bride Emily O. (thanks, Emily!) and visited us in February 2012 for her September wedding. Stylist Stephanie remembers Lindsay as decisive yet open minded. We were thrilled to get some amazing photos from Cameron & Kelly Studio, photographers that specialize in Northern Arizona.

For Lindsay's wedding at the Forest Highlands Golf Club in Flagstaff, she wore a natural waisted satin ballgown with sweetheart neckline and pockets. We adore the cardigan she wore over her wedding dress--it's the perfect way to ward off a chill or cover your upper arms or shoulders without wearing a more formal bolero, which many brides want to pair with their plus size wedding dress. Plus your sweater is another way to incorporate your wedding colors!

To see Lindsay's DIY touches (as well as her bridal party, which really pulled off different dresses in the same palette), check out the complete wedding day post here.

We can't get enough of the stunning outdoor photos! Thanks, Lindsay, for sharing them with us. We wish you and Mike a long and happy marriage!

Heather's Custom Tea Length Wedding Dress

2013-04-01T14:42:25-07:00

We recently posted Elizabeth's beautiful photos from her Tucson wedding on November 10, 2012, so we thought we'd follow it up with photos from Heather's wedding, which was also 11/10/12!

Heather found us on Yelp and came looking for a tea length wedding dress for her outdoor wedding at McDowell Mountain Ranch.

We ended up doing a custom tea length wedding dress in soft tulle with a corset back and beading on the softly ruched bodice. Heather wrote,

"Attached are a few photos that really showcase my dress. I couldn't be happier with it and appreciated that wonderful service I got while there. If possible, could you let people know who the photographer was? They were very professional and both my husband and I were very happy with the pictures we got. We used Lowe Photos (lowephotos.com)."

Heather and Mike's wedding colors were black and red, so she wore bright red shoes and carried a red bouquet wrapped in a black ribbon.

The tea length wedding gown was perfect for their outdoor ceremony--what a beautiful location! Best wishes to you both!