Belle’s Bridal Boutique in Abilene Texas announces the addition of online appointment scheduling. This convenient new feature allows clients to set their own appointments.

To book your appointment simply click the button below:

A Belle’s representative will provide a follow up phone call to confirm your appointment and answer any question you may have.

This new feature allow allows existing clients much easier access to setting the myriad of appointments that follow finding the perfect wedding gown. And of course, you can still call us at (325)673-0033. We love to talk to you!

We are trying this to make it easier for you guys. If you like it, let us know!

Wahoo!  Some news you all might like to hear.

At the end of 2009 Belle’s Bridal Boutique in Abilene, Texas will be relocating to a larger boutique.  With the additon of space we will carry more formal gowns for social occasions, as well as weddings!  And of course we will continue to carry designer bridal gowns, bridesmaids, tuxedos, silk shoes, invitations, and unique jewelry!

Our new boutique will have over double the space, and still be a totally posh and pampering experience.  Where is our new location, you ask?  In the Crosswoods shopping center up behind Starbucks on Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene.  This location is easy to get to and perfect for bridal!

Keep your eyes peeled for special offers during this time.  Thank you all who have shopped with Belle’s Bridal Boutique for the last few years.  You all are awesome!

Renting a tux for a formal event is fun and easy - when you are working with the right shop.  Belle’s Bridal Boutique in Abilene, TX rents tuxes for weddings, quinceanera, prom, and other formal events.  Since weddings are usually the most difficult to coordinate, here are 8 easy steps to renting tuxes for your wedding.

1.  3-6 months prior to the wedding pick out the tux shop you want to rent your tuxes from. Why does this part matter?  Well, the tux shop takes care of the last second changes and glitches that may occur.  A good shop will run seamlessly and make your tux rental experience a breeze.

2. 2-5 months prior to the wedding date, select your tux styles and colors, then go ahead and rent your tux NOW. You can take care of payment, select the style, and reserve it with the tux company so that your tux choices don’t get snatched up by prom kids.  Belle’s Bridal in Abilene uses several of the largest tuxedo distributors in the country, but they do have a limited number of each tux in a certain color or style.  As they say, the early bird gets the tux.

3. Consider the HEAT.  Our designer tuxes have a high wool content which allows your tux to breathe.  That in turn makes you one cool dude.  We also have microfiber shirts that work better for outdoor weddings.

4. Get ALL the guys measured 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding. This is your drop-dead date.  Which means if you miss it, you may end up paying rush fees charged by the tux company.  This is also the part of renting tuxes that throws most people.  You do not have to be measured at the store that is ordering your tuxes.  You can have measurements done at a tailor, suit store, or bridal shop.  Call and ask before you head over because different stores will have different policies for ‘out of house’ tux measurements.

5. Out of town rentals made easy.  You can rent your tuxes at Belle’s even if your groomsmen are out of town.  How?  Easy!  We can give you a card and the guys just need to fill it out and email it back.  Often, the bride or groom collects all the cards and hands them all in at once.  Easy peesy.

6.  Your tuxes will arrive at Belle’s Bridal Boutique in Abilene the week of the wedding. It is highly recommended that you come in and try them on ASAP.  We typically schedule a time where the entire party can come in and try the tuxes on.  If you have special needs (or people won’t arrive until the morning of the wedding) don’t freak - we can help you with that too.

7.  Remember to get black socks. OK, this is a necessary evil if you dont want to see white socks, or no socks with your groomsmen.  Personaly I’m thinking no socks in rental shoes is kinda gross, but it doesn’t mean people don’t do it.  Remember this word - BAG-O-SOCKS.  Grab you a bag of black Gold Toe socks knowing that a couple of your guys will fall into the holy crap I don’t own black socks! category.

8.  Don’t worry about dropping your tuxes off right after the wedding. Tux returns can be done on Monday.  Have fun at the wedding.  And should you fall into a pool or have some accident with your tux, don’t worry - your damage waiver will cover you.  (Designer tuxes cost about $600-$900 to replace - don’t fall in the pool).

9. Tux returns made easy - The Tux Shop @ Belle’s Bridal makes tux returns a breeze.  Can you say hefty bag?  Just throw ALL the tuxes, shoes, vests, shrits, pants, etc into a bag.  Appoint someone to bring everything back to Belle’s Bridal Boutique on Monday.  Ta-Dah!  All done.  We check it all for you and sort through it.  If anything is missing, we’ll call you.

Remember, if you bought your wedding gown at Belle’s Bridal Boutique in Abilene that we offer specials on tuxes.  Call to see what the wedding promo is and book your tuxes today.  (325)673-0033.

Ladies, our buyers were just at market and got to see the new wedding gown designs for next year! Lace is making a comeback. And the laces they are using vary, which gives you a nice selection if you prefer Chantilly over acleon. (need to brush up on what kind of bridal lace you like?  check out this post on lace and this post on common bridal terms).  Lace can be fun and flirty, sophisticated, glamorous, and of course…vintage.

Vintage styles have been requested by brides for over the past 12 months.  We have several gowns that we have customized so they have the vintage feel.  Vintage is very popular right now with brides who want a traditional wedding, but not a totally traditional wedding dress.  This little flare is super elegant and looks so polished and refined, now wonder why it’s becoming the next big thing.

Want to know what time period is being emulated by “vintage” looks?  There has been a little flare of 1920’s flapper style wedding gowns.

One of our favs is shown here (photo credit Belle’s Photography: New York & Texas).  It’s an awesome little 20’s flapper style wedding dress by Robin Jillian.  This little dress offers the perfect 20’s flare while still retaining the traditional wedding gown feel.

Another vintage time period that is showing up in moderation is the classic 1950’s Donna Reed style wedding dresses.  These iconic gowns offer classic silhouettes and clean lines for the perfect couture look!

My favorite time period that we are seeing is the early 1900’s.  No!  Not pioneer woman dresses!  lol.  Think of the latest NY styles and fashions.  They were traditional with a little French flare.

Think of those cool evening gowns Kate Winslet wore on Titanic (1997).  I posted a picture of one of her dresses below.

Talk about awesome elements that flatter your figure.  The flapper style is way cool, but the flappers wanted to have their clothes have a column feel.  In other words, the style is not as universally flattering.

These earlier dresses had streamlined silhouettes with a fine attention to detail that just made them so regal and elegant!

This gown was called the ‘jump dress’ - it’s the awesome gown she was wearing when she was about to jump off the ship.  We created styles like this with some of our designers to give you the look you have been dreaming of!

The colors of these awesome early 1900’s wedding gowns are pearl essence, pearl, and vintage pearl. I expect the vintage pearl to be totally breathtaking with ivory gloves and a vintage style updo.  We know some Abilene area wedding hair stylists that can make you look perfect, so don’t hesitate to ask.

As for all these vintage colors…Don’t throw off the look by wearing silver shoes!  Yuck.  Traditional vintage looks should have satin or silk dyed shoes.  And with the new colors comes new issues with dying.

So, don’t worry!  We made it easy for you.  Any gown you purchase here can have silk or satin shoes dyed to match.  Just let your consultant know you want a vintage style shoe to match your gown.

We were so excited to see the new styles and commission a few looks just for our boutique.  Belle’s Bridal Boutique in Abilene is celebrating their 3rd year of ownership this month.  Make sure you make an appointment by calling (325)673-0033.  It’s never been a better time to be a bride!!!

Selena came into Belle’s Bridal Boutique in Abilene, TX about a year ago searching for her dream wedding gown.  I remember her very well.  She was sweet and quiet.  She selected her gown on her 1st appointment.  Over the course of the next 10 months we got chatty and noticed that we both love Disney World!  They honeymooned at our favorite resort at Disney.  She was SO much fun!

Selena also won one of the photography promo paks a couple months ago.  Here are some of her bridals.  Isn’t she gorgeous!!!  We laughed our heads off while shooting these bridal portraits.  Congrats you guys!  You are both awesome people and it was a pleasure to have served your family during this time.

Congrats to Crystal who won the discounted wedding photography coverage last week!

If you would like a chance to win a Belle’s promo, make sure you add your email to our newsletter list below!  You will hear 1st when Belle’s Bridal Boutique has a sale, special promos, offers, and giveaways.  And we also send out some helpful wedding planning info too!  You can unsubscribe at any time, so sign up now!

Sign Up for Belle’s Promos

Renae Shira got married this past spring.  She had a custom gown made so that it was exactly what she wanted!  Her gown was light and flowy and showed off her figure wonderfully!  Miss Shira opted to have a corset put into the back of her gown.  This gave her a custom fit through the bodice that was just awesome!  The bodice of her gown was adorned with crystal.

Miss Shira found her dream dress on her first visit.  That is really common at Belle’s Bridal Boutique in Abilene, Texas.

Many brides think it’s going to take forever to find the perfect gown.  :o(  They are really unsure about the whole process.  We promise -  at Belle’s shopping is fun, and we can find the perfect gown pretty quickly - even if you aren’t sure what you want yet.  A personal shopper isn’t just a luxury for the rich.  Belle’s thought - why not give one to every bride?  It makes shopping so much easier and gives the bride time to focus on other things…like bridesmaids dresses, catering, flowers, and all the other little things.

And another cool little point - your personal Belle’s shopper chick knows her stuff in gowns, but she also knows the latest wedding trends and local vendors.  She can help you match stuff up with your gown so you have that elegant pulled together look at your wedding.   Your personal shopper can make custom suggestions like Belle’s did for the beautiful Miss Shira.  Her gown was adorned with these beautiful crystals.  These same crystals can be added to the bouquets and floral arrangements!  It gives them the perfect extra little kick to make your wedding unforgettable.

Congrats to you both!  We loved helping you find your dream gown.

Congrats to Selena, who won the discounted wedding photography package!  Since we had an overwhelming response to this promo - keep your eyes peeled.  It may appear again!

Congrats Selena!

Yes, Belle’s Bridal Boutique in Abilene, Texas will be opened on July 4, 2009!  There are still a couple of appointments slots open.  Call now to reserve yours.

And July 4th is a pre-clearance sale day!  Which means you get sample sale prices when you buy your gown on July 4th!  No waiting and early bird selection.  There’s never been a better time to shop for a wedding gown!

This is a fun gown that we have on display in the store this weekend.

No, it’s not for sale.  So you can’t have it.  But it’s so much fun, I just had to show you.  Timeless and classic?  Not really.  Sparklin star-bangled fun?  Totally!  It just goes to show - there is the perfect dress out there for every bride - no matter what stylistic preferences you have!

Have a happy and safe Independce Day, Abilene!

The bridal garter custom originated in France in the 1300’s.  Oh la la!  The garter is worn for good luck.  It is often the something blue, too.  Many garters come in blue or have pretty blue ribbons or lace.  The garter is traditionally satin adorned with lace, crystal, and ribbons for decoration.

Traditionally, the garter is worn just below the knee. Yes, that’s right.  Can-Can girls wear garters up high on their thighs.  Normal people didn’t.  Which is why, when you try to stick a bridal garter up there, you might cut off circulation to your leg.  Remember, most chicks in the 1300’s were wearing floor length gowns and so the garter held the stockings right below the knee.  Knees were very taboo back in the day, which is why garters got a rep for being all sexy.

The garter is removed by the groom during the reception, and thrown after the bride’s bouquet.  Many brides wear two garters - one is tossed and the other one becomes a keepsake.  We have lots of new bridal garters in stock.  Some are sets, some are beautiful one of a kind pieces.  French lace and Austrian crystal makes a wedding garter even sexier.