Weddings '06 event set for Sunday at GBPAC.
…reality at Sunday's "Weddings '06: A Bridal Event to Remember." The premiere event takes place at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Falls, hosted by Courier Communications. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 and are available at the door. "We are looking forward to sharing great information on weddings and wedding planning with Cedar Valley brides, grooms, their families and friends on Sunday. This event will begin Courier Communications' emphasis on providing timely wedding planning, resources and shopping information through our products and events -- The Courier, www.wcfcourier.com, periodicals and special publications," said Nancy Green, Courier Communications publisher.The fall issue of Weddings magazine is available, and offered free at Simpson Furniture, Hy-Vee Food Stores, Dillards, Younkers, bridal and tuxedo shops, photography studios and all vendors participating in the bridal show. Copies can also be requested online at the Courier's new Weddings Web page at www.wcfcourier.com/bridal or at the event.
An extravagant fashion show begins at 3 p.m. in the elegant Great Hall. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m. and the show ends at 4 p.m. The show will feature wedding gowns, tuxedos, mothers' dresses, bridesmaids' gowns and attire for flower girls and ring bearers. At Weddings '06, brides will find everything from fashions,…
…starting at around $75,000 for 50 guests.Until now, brides who wanted the full princess experience had to design their own gowns. In its research leading up to the decision to make the dresses, Disney found that brides tend to spend more on their dresses than they planned, which amounts to an average 10 percent of a $26,000 total budget.
The midrange market marks a shift for Kelly, who designs couture dresses costing as much as $20,000 for celebrity clients, including some of the cast in the movie "Wedding Crashers."
To maintain a luxurious look at lower prices, the 38-year-old designer found a Chinese factory three hours outside Guangzhou that was experienced at making wedding dresses. She used cheaper materials in unseen parts of the dress. The Snow White-inspired dresses, for instance, combine silks on the surface with polyester fabrics underneath.
Kelly says she spent night after night watching animated Disney movies such as "Cinderella." Then she tried to imagine what the modern-day equivalent of each of the princesses would be.
She pictured Sleeping Beauty as a creative type and labeled her "pretty romance." Her dress features an elegant A-line skirt with pearl-like beads and crystals at the hem. By contrast, Belle, from "Beauty and the Beast," "knows who she is" and would be a doctor or lawyer. Her dress with "stylish sophistication" comes in taffeta and features her signature roses.
Kelly sketched out various designs for each princess, which she plans to unveil at Bridal Week in New York in April. Disney hopes by the end of the year to offer the dresses…
…A B C E G Starlight Fine Jewels NY 2 3 G Stones Mason VA 2 STS Jewels Inc NY 1 2 3 A C D E F G Studio GL NM 2 A C E G Thai Silp Jewelry Co Lt Thailand 1 2 3 Thai-Link Trading Co Lt NY 1 2 3 5 A C E …
…free from cancer."All of proceeds from the shirt's sales ($28 at www.breakawayfromcancer.com) go toward the Breakaway initiative, which raises awareness and funds for pe ople affected by cancer. It's also part of the pharmaceutical company Amgen's sponsorship of the Amgen Tour of California, an eight-day, 650-mile professional cycling race that comes through San Jose on Wednesday.
"Because of Carmen's generous support, the Wellness Community and the National Coalition of Cancer Survivorship have been able to reach millions of people affected by cancer and empower them with hope," said Kim Thiboldeaux, president and CEO of the Wellness Community, one of the two non-profit organizations benefiting from the initiative.
Valvo, who has dressed a slew of celebrities including Queen Latifah, Vanessa Williams and Katie Couric in his signature evening gowns for the red carpet, was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. Since then, he has teamed up with Couric, whose husband died of colon cancer, to serve as ambassadors for the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance.
"Being a survivor, you take a hard look at yourself and what life is really about," said Val vo, who has also done work for the Breast Cancer Alliance and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. "You ask yourself, why was I spared when others were not? I feel like it would've been a disservice if I didn't get involved. Sometimes you need these things to let yourself know it's more important than the day-to-day…