A Midsummer's dream
10:17 AM | 
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Bonnie Daws Bridal Design
When Janee Mestrovich first came to us, it was on a Saturday afternoon in May, following a frantic search for the “right gown” with five of her closest friends in tow. She saw one gown that she loved, but wanted a few modifications. The price of the gown was affordable; however, getting it with the modifications she wanted [plus necessary alterations] would no doubt put it completely out of the ballpark pricewise. She had only two months before her upcoming July wedding. Her Medical school studies were taking up huge amounts of her time, so getting the gown in a timely manner was critical. In between classes, exams and studying, Jenee traveled from Lansing to our studio in Plymouth for a few fittings, and before long she had the dress of her dreams.
In addition to style details, of paramount importance to Janee was the length of the gown. She wanted all lace, but didn’t want the hem of the dress to drag on the ground for her outside wedding. She wanted a style that was body-hugging, but with a trumpet skirt featuring a few dramatic pickups. We were able to accommodate her on all fronts.
Janee traveled to her wedding destination in Milwaukee with her dress on one arm and her kitten carrier in the other, as her carry-on luggage.
We're waiting to see how she made out with the airline attendants. We were confident that if anyone could do it, Janee could!
Anne Carney and Scott Strickland
Photos courtesy of Laurie Tennent Studio, Birmingham, Michigan www.laurietennentstudio.com
Because the Carneys and the Stricklands had been friends for 40 years, their children, Anne and Scott, had a long time to get to know each other. Needless to say, the families were delighted when the two announced that they wanted to unite in a more permanent way.
On June 26, Anne Carney and Scott Strickland officially "tied the knot" in a beautiful ceremony at Christ Church Cranbrook. A reception followed at the Oakland Hills Country Club.
From our standpoint, Anne and mom Cindy [Carney] were delightful ladies to work with.
Anne's gown [her own design] of ivory, double-faced silk satin was accented with an Alencon lace bodice and a caramel satin ribbon at the waist. She placed an antique brooch on the ribbon that she and her mom discovered an an antique show. A duet of silk roses from Custom Fabric Flowers in New York, adorned her hair.
Cindy's dress [also her own design] of ice blue silk taffeta was her vision of a simple, yet elegant style, reminiscent of the Audrey Hepburn era.
The couple's photographer Laurie Tennent captured the magic of the day in a beautiful unique way. We had difficulty selecting from the many wonderful photos she offered.
Ruffles Anyone?
When Julie Hollyday came to see us from Cincinnati last year, her mom Susan was extremely enthusiastic to have her daughter come north to Michigan to have her wedding gown made. Susan, who lives in Toledo, knew that not only would this be a good bonding experience, but also a way for her to share in the wedding planning process.
Julie's idea for a wedding gown was a composite of many ideas that she saw in bridal magazines. Our impression was that it was yet another take of the formal "little back dress" that Princess Diana wore when she made her first public appearance as the future bride of Prince Charles.
Julie and Susan graced our studio several times in the process of bringing the dress from its simple beginnings to its elegant finish.
We suggested adding a few silk flowers to the ruffles, but Julie loved the simplicity of the dress as it was. Instead she opted for having us make up the wedding flowers from her bridal silk and a red silk shantung for her attendants and mothers' corsages. Instead of a veil, Julie wore three small silk roses in her hair.
Photography by Bonnie Daws
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