Therez Fleetwood Bridal

Ethnic inspired wedding gowns by Therez Fleetwood

Sun, 30 May 2010 03:20:00 +0900

Ethnic inspired wedding gowns by Therez Fleetwood

In honor of Black History Month, the Sacramento Bridal Fashion Examiner is dedicating her articles to African-American wedding industry gurus. This week, the Sacramento Bridal Fashion Examiner had the opportunity to interview renowned exotic wedding gown designer, Therez Fleetwood of Therez Fleetwood Bridal. I have been a fan of Therez Fleetwood's gowns for some time now and was not at all surprised to learn of her designing ethnic inspired costumes for Walt Disney Theme Parks and Resort's Micky & Minnie Mouse. Therez Fleetwood's gowns are inspired by countries such as Egypt, India, Morocco, South Africa and Asia. Her gowns add color to the traditional white American wedding gown, making the gown exotic and unique to each of her brides.

Therez Fleetwood studied fashion design at The Fashion Institute of Technology and as the interview below will show has been sewing since childhood. She worked as a production manager in New York for years perfecting her garment construction and garment making process skills. For the past 11 years, Therez has been designing and making wedding gowns under her own name, Therez Fleetwood. Her designs have been featured in top magazines, shown on many television shows and on display at Museum of the City in New York and the Black Fashion Museum. Therez Fleetwood is the epitome of a self-made fashion designer making her mark on the world with her own exotic and distinct style. Not only is she a talented and successful designer, Therez is also a writer. So, without further ado, the Sacramento Bridal Fashion Examiner would like to introduce to Sacramento, the talented, creative and exotic wedding gown designer, Therez Fleetwood.

Your Big Fat Indian Wedding

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:40:00 +0900

Planning Your Big Fat Indian Weddings with a touch of Western Influences
Onida Cruz
Opulent Creations Events, LLC

Rich colors, ornate jewelry, elaborate mandaps (Indian style wedding canopy structure), intricate henna designs, guest lists of 500 or more, rituals over several days, and flowers galore . . . must be an Indian wedding. Planning a Big Fat Indian Wedding with a touch of Western influences? Or do you love Indian culture and want to incorporate some authentic customs in your special day? Youâre in the right place.

Color dictates the feel and look of an Indian wedding; hence a great deal of emphasis is placed on decor. Rich jewel tones like amethyst, ruby red, emerald green, topaz yellow, blue sapphire, and turquoise with dashes of ornate gold, bronze, and silver make up the color palette for an event. Elaborate and colorful tents, opulent linens, flamboyant mandaps with flower adornments all make up an out of this world celebration.

Traditionally Indian wedding colors are shades of red and gold. Brides typically wear a colored gown of these colors. Unlike in our Western culture where brides classically wear gowns of white, white is considered to be a color of mourning in many regions in India. The color red is thought to bring good luck and happiness to the marrying couple. With the large influence of Western traditions in the bridal industry may brides of South Asian descent decide to blend the wedding traditions. For instance, they may were a white gown for their ceremony and change into an elaborate sari for their reception.

In the Indian culture there are many cultural and religious differences which may be seen in the attire chosen for a wedding dress. There are 3 styles that seem to be common. They are:

1. A sari is a length of cloth that is wrapped around the body in an intricate pattern. The sari may be secured by pins or simply tucked in the waistband, with the remaining part draped over the shoulder. The length of cloth that remains after the sari has been wrapped is called the pallu.

2. A gaghra choli usually consists of a very long skirt and short blouse. A lengthy scarf called a dupatta is draped across the chest.

3. A shalwar chameez is a long tunic over pants, also with a dupatta draped across the chest. Depending on the brideâs preference, the dupatta can also be worn around the neck, over the head or pinned to one shoulder on the side.

One common thread throughout Indian wedding attire is the elaborate hand sewn embroidery detailing. Elaborate details of sophisticated workmanship combine patterns, sequences, beadwork, and threading. Materials of silk, satin, and chiffon are often used.

As well as the clothing being opulent, the brideâs accessories add to the richness of her attire. 24 karat gold necklaces and bracelets, nose rings, chandelier earrings, and hair ornaments are all worn together to create the overall look and make the bride feel like a queen. Traditional clothing colors of reds, rusts, and maroons are often seen in the winter months, while shades of pink, creams, and gold are worn during the spring and summer months. A new trend some Indian brides are using for their attire is ombre shading for their saris, skirts, and dupattas. Think of Gwen Stefaniâs custom made pink and white silk faille Dior gown.

Todayâs modern bride is influenced by the grandeur of Bollywood. Typically Indian weddings have more than 400 guests, so the entertainment for the evening must be able to get the crowd moving. Many couples choose to have an Indian entertainment group complete with live bhangra music and dhol drumming, in addition to a DJ and possibly professional dancers.

Buffet style catering is the most common way to serve the large number of guests at an Indian wedding. Multi-cuisine buffets with a plethora of food stations are to be expected. For dessert how about a dessert buffet with an assortment of Indian sugary sweets such as gulab jamun or the frozen treat, kulfi. For the bar have signature cocktails using litchi fruit, a liquor infused Mango Lassi, or mango and chai martinis. Be created when naming your drinks. Anyone for a South Goa Breeze, a Hot Night in Mambi, or a Mango Mojito?

When planning an Indian wedding most Indian families have an older relative who c directs the bride and groom on religious customs and expectations. When a wedding planner is called in, their role is typically to manager the guests, act as a liaison between vendors and the wedding couple, and implement the dÃ©cor aspects of the wedding.

As I tell all my couples, plan an event that is uniquely yours by combining traditional customs with a modern flair. Give your guests something to take about.

Eventfully Yours,
Onida Cruz
http://www.opulentcreationsevent.com/

Sources:
http://houstonweddingblog.com/2009/05 ... n-wedding-trends-part-ii/
http://www.indianweddingsite.com/
http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/fashion/a ... spx?cp-documentid=1762996
http://weddings.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Indian_Wedding_Dresses_101

African Safari Themed Weddings

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:20:00 +0900

African Safari Themed Weddings
by Therez Fleetwood

African wedding themes are really quite spectacular as they allow you create a wedding full of adventure, history and romance. From your anticipated entrance to your dramatic departure, your wedding ceremony experience can be exactly as you always dreamed it would be. :- you are limited only by your imagination.

When planning your African Safari themed wedding, the first thing you'll want to decide upon is what type of venue youâd like to have it in and will it be outdoors or indoor. Either location can be absolutely magical when correctly put together and both can provide great backdrops for decoration and displays. If you are looking to give guests a full African experience! and impact their learning about different African cultures, foods, and traditions, these wedding ideas will surely help you out.

1. Decorations - you can decorate the wedding venue in a manner that will attempt to recreate the mood of an African Safari. Your wedding venue decorations can be arranged from simple table dÃ©cor to full draping of the entire venue including ceremony dÃ©cor, unique centerpieces, (in wooden sculptures or soapstone statues) chair covers, (with African motifs) head table dÃ©cor, (including nudcloth or burlap linens) backdrops, ceiling canopies, (or wall hangings or artwork can add a beautiful splash of color), candles, place card holders and more.

2. Invitations - Set the tone for your wedding with unique invitations designed exclusively with your color theme in mind. Find a company that can help you tailor-make your invitations to fit your vision. You can use embossed animal prints, feathers, ornaments, twigs, etc. to create a safari feel.

3. Attire - African inspired bridal attire is a sure fire way to set the tone for wedding. As a bride, you have several design options when choosing the perfect wedding dress. You can choose attire adorned with colorful beads, ivory, stones and trinkets from West Africa or you can choose a dress designed around the colorful batiks found in Southern Africa.

4. Favors - When choosing favors for your guests, consider Safari themed gifts like animal masks, beaded photo frames, , bottle stoppers or decorative soapstone sculptures in the shape of tiny animals and other cute keepsakes, as well.

5. Place Cards - Donât forget about the place card designs for the guest tables, they can pick up the safari theme as well. Choose cards with animal print borders or adorned with some cheetah patterned ribbon or tribal motifs.

6. Wedding Cake - Work with a cake designer to create a distinct cake that enhances your wedding theme. You can choose to add color or decorative ethnic design elements that work with your wedding attire or the venue decor.

7. Flowers â Create beautiful floral arrangements using calla lilies and other exotic flowers in beautiful hues and rich vibrant colors. You can also use some wild trees and exotic flowers to decorate the wedding venue as well

8. Music - African traditional music is an inseparable part of an African wedding. You can play some light African jazz or enjoy the pulsating beats and rythmic vibes African dance music.

Whether you choose bright colorful graphics or warm, earthy safari colors and images, by planning an African safari themed wedding, your ceremony and reception will be a one-of-a-kind experience that you, and your guests, will remember forever.

Have a wonderful wedding,
Therez Fleetwood
www.therezfleetwoodbridal.com

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