Gown Try-outs: Spurling Bridal SALE (with Ammie and Daisy)

Spurling and Ferrari (Bridal and Formal wear) are actually affiliated franchises. I found when we were handed a flyer at the bridal expo, advertising their end of financial year sale from 30 May to 6 June. They advertised that gowns started from $29 - but most of those on sale were all large sizes or designs that weren't too nice or flattering.

Having not had girlfriends come along with me for gown browsing previously, I decided to drag Ammie and Daisy along back to Spurling Bridal (Nepean Highway) to check out the sale this time. ;) I didn't get anything but we did have fun trying together and snapping some pics.

Fairy-tale princess like turquoise coloured gown for about $400. Too big for me (Size 14) and didn't really suit!	Simple white gown with no train with some embroidery and beads on the chest area. About $350.	Another white gown which looked nice when I wasn't wearing it. :p Made me look stunted. Definite no-no!

Here are more pics of us cam-whoring in the dressing room. Lucky for us, the lady in the shop left us to browse and didn't really bother about us. I managed to con Ammie and Daisy into trying a white gown each as we found a size 6 (which fitted Ammie well). Usually you'll not find such a small size in the shops here.

The hot red piece was a also a size 6 or a really small cut size 8 (couldn't quite remember) and Daisy and I couldn't zip it up at the back. It was actually quite nice for an evening dress but a pity that they only had Size 14 and above left. It came in other colours of dark purple, pink and navy blue, yet there just wasn't one in a suitable size!

Australian Bridal Service: Ultimate Bridal Event May 2010

The Australian Bridal Service organises wedding exhibitions twice a year in Melbourne and Sydney. And so to get ideas and inspiration, we thought we'll attend one of them just to see what it was all about.

They call it the Ultimate Bridal Event and it's usually held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre or the Royal Exhibition Building.

There were heaps of retailers on display including car hire services, cakes, gowns, men's formal wear, photography and videography, rings, singing bands and DJs, flowers, stationary and gifts and lots more. Every two hours or so, they also have a bridal fashion parade with models strutting down the catwalk in the latest gowns and suits.

Here's a link to the full album: http://picasaweb.google.com/melchenyi/UltimateBridalEventMay2010#

In our point, there's no need to go for all of these expos. Just attending one or two will be enough as most of the retailers exhibiting are usually the same and sometimes too much ideas will give drive you nuts anyway! :p

Deposit for Chapel, Reception Viewing: Leonda by the Yarra and Gown Try-outs: Eternal Weddings

Today was the second day of our leave and we made an appointment with the wedding coordinator at Scotch College so that we can place a deposit for the chapel. This time she took us for another visit to view the chapel and turned on the lights so that we can see more clearly how beautiful the interior was.

We were informed that Leonda by the Yarra, a reception place nearby the school offered a 10% discount for wedding receptions held there and so we made an appointment to have a look at a potential venue place as well.

Function Place: Leonda by the Yarra
Website: http://www.leondabytheyarra.com.au/

Prices (2011): $120 p/h (Cocktail package) or $130 p/h (Sit-down dinner)

They offered us their Garden room which catered for up to 130 guests in a sit-down dinner or more if it's a cocktail party. They also require a minimum of 70 guests for that room.

Later on the way back, we headed to Eternal Weddings, another bridal shop along Koornang Rd as they were closed yesterday (Mondays).

Shop Name: Eternal Weddings
Suburb: Carnegie
Website: http://www.eternalweddings.com.au/home/

Beautiful gowns and little flower girl dresses on display at the shop's window.	This gown had lots of embroidery on the top half and is quite body hugging down to the hips.
Back of the gown shown on top right. It was draw-string instead of zipper on the back. Price was a whopping $2300. No doubt I tried it just for fun!	This gown was more princess-like (style) and the owner told me that usually the younger (teenage) brides go for this type. This was on sale at $1200.

Gown Try-outs: Georgette Knoss, Ferrari Formal and Be A Star Bridal

Darling and I were on leave today and tomorrow as well to do some wedding stuff. So after lunch in the arvo, we dropped by the bridal shops near our place. The first one was at the nearby shops area, just down the road from where we live.

Shop 1:
Shop Name: Georgette Knoss
Branch: East Bentleigh
Website: http://www.georgetteknoss.com.au/

This gown looks really plain, but there are actually a strip of beads and sequins sewn to the upper part of the dress. It also has a really nice train. But for $1000 and with a relatively plain design, it wasn't worth it, though the lady said the material was a good silk one.	This gown is a débutante dress and was going for $320 (with alterations included). It also had beads and sequins with patterns sewn around the chest area. I didn't want a white dress for pre-shoot and neither did I want to buy in a haste just at the second shop, and so didn't get it.

Shop 2:
Shop Name: Ferrari Formal and Bridal
Branch: Ormond
Website: http://www.ferrariformal.com.au/

The glass display of gowns from outside the shop. It is just near Ormond train station. They also do Men's formal wear, gowns for Mother of the Bride and flower girls as well.	This one really took my liking for an actual day gown. It's designed by Mancini and cost $1700 to order. (Alterations not included yet). But it was still too early to feel "100% right".

Shop 3:

Shop Name: Be A Star Bridal
Branch: Bentleigh East
Website: http://www.beastarbridal.com.au/

This was another débutante gown that I considered getting for the pre-shoot. It was quite plain and simple and cost $400 including alterations.

But yet again, it was white and it didn't have a train. I didn't need a gown with a long train for pre-shoot photos but then again, I didn't want one that totally had none at all!

The gowns in this shop were also relatively more expensive as compared to the others and the owner didn't quite made me feel comfortable. She seemed to put on a faked face and didn't smile much at all.

Scotch College Chapel: Sample Wedding Decos

If you sign up with Australian Bridal Service, you'll get lots of emails from retailers in all categories. Supposedly, only bridal retailers that meet the highest standards of quality and service are able to display the Australian Bridal Service Accredited Business Logo

Anyway, we got an email from Your Knight Events saying that they will be decorating the Little John Memorial Chapel for a wedding on 24th April and of course we had to go! It was really exciting since it was the first time I was stepping into the chapel.

The chapel interior. Nicole's assistant was putting on nicely tied bows on the church pews. Nicole is the coordinator from the events company.	Back of the chapel - view from the alter's direction looking back. There is an old Windpipe organ upstairs where the stain glass is.

Gown Try-outs: Spurling Bridal and Formal (Cheltenham)

I had my first bridal gown try-out today! On a usual Sunday arvo, we passed by this shop along Nepean Highway on the way to Southland Shopping Centre and decided to pop in to have a look. They had formal wear for men and gowns for the ladies as well.

Shop name: Spurling Bridal
Branch: Nepean Highway
Website: http://www.spurling.com.au/index.php

Down to the right side from the main entrance leading to men's formal wear section, there were gowns on discount.	To the left, there were rows of new and designer gowns for all sizes in mostly white and ivory and some in other colours.
Here's darling checking out a suit. He's looking to get a pin-stripe one, possibly in dark grey (and he says he wants an Armani at that!) LOL.	The first bridal gown I tried on! I chose a simple one we were just looking for a gown to for pre-shoot(engagement) photos.

There were a couple more that I tried on as well, but didn't take photos as they didn't look too good! :p

Little John Memorial Chapel: A Sneak Peak

Today was kinda the first day to the start of our wedding preps. It is the Easter Break long weekend and we went to IKEA to do some shopping. And since we were nearby, I asked darling to drop by Scotch College, his high school. He wants to have our ceremony held at the chapel.

Use of the school chapel for weddings was exclusive only to old boys and daughters of old boys, and so that adds an extra special touch for us. :) As it was school holidays and the chapel is usually locked and not opened to the public, we could only take a look at it from the outside.

Entrance to the Senior School (High School); They also have a Junior School (Primary) just next door and residences nearby for boarders.	The Memorial Hall with the "burning bush". Around it are metal plaques of students' names whose parents have made a donation.
We found darling's name plaque still there from years ago amongst the others. It was lucky as some of them have been dugged out - probably from wear and tear or naughty kids.	And here we are - Little John Memorial Chapel, one of the most distinctive buildings of the college. The building was completed in 1937 and has been there ever since.