Real Brides
Bride Lauren in her custom gown, designed by our shop-in-shop designer Giselle of Belle Bridal Atelier. Truly a couture work of art, each bead, pearl and crystal was sewn on one-by-one, by hand, by artisans in India and in our workroom here in Chicago. The embroidery took 6 weeks to complete, 400 hours of labor, 5,000 pearls, 10,000 beads and 2,000 crystals. Her veil was cut as a waltz length with a delicate applique of Swarovski crystals, a style made by Toni Federici and exclusive to Belle Bridal Atelier.
Photos: @kayfishphoto
Bride Jessica in her gown from @aliceinivorybridal - Jessica’s bodice wasn’t fitting exactly how she pictured so the team at Alice in Ivory acted fast and got us material from the designer to recut the top. Although it looks like a simple alteration, it took Soheila’s expert eyes, a very delicate hand and multiple fittings, but the fit worked out perfectly. Jessica also purchased a veil from @bellebridalatelier to complete her look. We are so lucky to have supportive stores working with us to make sure the process is seamless from beginning to end.
Photos: @jennaborstphoto
Bride Amina in her beautifully fit @alexandragrecco gown. Standard sizing doesn’t always allow for the easiest alterations, but with the patience of our beautiful bride (her dress was in two pieces at one point), and the expert skills of our team, Amina looked stunningly effortless on her wedding day.
Photos: @cassie_madden
Bride Morgan wanted to add a custom element to personalize her bridal look. Together we designed Italian tulle wings that elevated her already gorgeous beaded gown. Using meticulous handwork techniques on the delicate beading, we were able to deliver a perfect fit with a side of drama for her walk down the aisle. By making the wings easily removable, she was able to enjoy her reception in total comfort.
photos: Brandy Jackson Photo
Bride Susan brought in a gown from the 1950’s that her great aunt and mother both wore at their weddings. Instead of restyling, she had us restore and custom fit this beautiful and extremely delicate piece. It took nearly 12 hours just to take apart the bodice, as each pull of thread would cause the lace to fall apart. After several muslin fittings (see below) we brought this piece to life, still keeping the integrity of the original design. It matched Susan’s personality which as you can clearly see is playful, whimsical, and kind!
Photos: @laynedixonphoto
Sarah wanted a classic, more traditional look to walk down the aisle, and a sexier, more fitted silhouette for her reception. She brought in her beautiful, Swiss dot Rime Arodaky gown from Alice in Ivory, and we completely took it apart. The skirt that came attached to her original gown didn’t have the silhouette, stretch, or opaqueness she was wanting. So to create her second look, we took a Belle gown by Anna Georgina and first made a body suit out of the bodice. We then used the bottom of the Anna Georgina gown to make a detachable skirt, making the slit slightly higher. To achieve her first look, we created a dramatic, removable overskirt from the bottom of one of Belle’s Blammo Biamo gowns. She elevated both looks with an expertly cut cathedral length Toni Federici veil, purchased through our shop-in-shop Belle Bridal Atelier.
photos: Millay & Young
Katie showed up to her first consultation not completely in love with her dress from another boutique. She tried on this Sophie et Voila gown carried by Belle and found that its more minimalist silhouette was a better match for her personality. The sample we had in stock was four sizes too big, but we were able to expertly resize it, adding additional princess seams to hug her shape even more. She made the look a little more fun by styling it with a bow by the same designer, and a cathedral length veil by Toni Federici.
photos: Victoria Rayburn Photography