Mint Julep via Food52 …It was the drink of the decade since it was served in the 1926 published book The Great Gatsby (HERE you find the classic version of this drink).

If you're looking for a little something different to do with the bar at your wedding, or you want to cool idea for a shower/engagement party/after-party/etc, think mixology. Sure, Williamsburg might have been doing it for what seems like a decade now, but Denver's just been hit in the past year with some speakeasy-vibe bars with some cool factor. Look to places like Green Russell downtown or Williams & Graham (literally 3 blocks up from Anna Bé) for bartenders who can flex some serious drink muscle. And we're not talking chair-restaurant "flair-tender" stuff, like down and dirty real deal old school drinks. Egg whites? An absinthe-rinsed glass? Bitters? Expand your palate and treat yourself (and your guests) to some sophisticated cocktails.

Our mixologist at FIVE (our big birthday bash this fall) was busy from moment one and was the huge hit of the night! Encourage guests to leave options open for your specialist, giving them a few keys like and/or dislikes, and let them go to town creating something custom for everyone.

Take it a step further and install a full speakeasy. Secret unmarked door, whispered passwords, dim lighting, really create a special experience that can be like a step back in time!

Guests will enjoy the relaxed quality of the event, and get to enjoy fantastic warm weather outside before it gets too hot! 

{click here to see this board on pinterest}

1.  Smile! Take a second to compose yourself and flash those pearly whites! I don't know anyone that likes a picture of them self frowning or talking. 

2. Stand up straight. Mom was right, dresses look better with your shoulders back and your back straight. 

3. Keep your hands at your side or resting lightly on your hips. Not only is this pose universally flattering, it keeps you from covering up details of the dress.

4. Be the only one in the photo. I totally get wanting a pic with your mom and bridesmaids next to you in your maybe wedding dress but make sure you get some solo shots too! This goes for folks in the background as well. When possible let the shot be of you only, the less distractions the better!

And one for your photographer of the day...

5. Get up and actively take photos! Your chosen paparazzo should not be taking pictures from a seated position on the sofa or into direct light. In order to show off you and the gown you love have photos taken from multiple angles and in flattering light. If this means taking a walk around the store, do it! And remember, we're always happy to act as photographer so don't hesitate to ask if you want to let your bridal party relax and enjoy the fashion show!

We love supporting great small design houses; their work keeps our industry alive and ensures that we don't lose the legacy of beautiful, handmade products in the US. So to celebrate our small, indie, and boutique designers, Anna Be, your favorite wedding dress destination, is bringing you designs all June that celebrate handmade details, heirloom quality, and small, independent designers, all at 10% off! 

During the month of June, you can enjoy a 10% discount on all Lela Rose,Caroline DeVillo, Tara LaTour, and Junko Yoshioka dresses. Each one of these special, one-of-a-kind dresses are handcrafted in the US, and feature unique elements that will make sure your dress is original. We'll be bringing in extra dresses that aren't here any other time of year to showcase what makes these designers so special, and why we brought them exclusively for our Colorado brides!

Support small businesses, and know that your dress had all the love and attention poured into it that you deserve! And don't miss this special opportunity to see dresses that you can't find anywhere else in the state!

 photography of Junko gown by Rebekah Westover

Yes we know that the Victorian tradition has held up for around 150 years, and that white (ivory, ecru, cream included) is the most common color of choice for wedding dresses (over 90% of brides wear some shade of white at their wedding). But what about all the other events? Does tradition demand white for a rehearsal dinner? or a shower? Should you reserve the white for just the wedding day? Well, the answers are about as varied as their are brides, but as a general rule, white is completely acceptable for any occasion about, surrounding, or leading up to the wedding for brides. 

That does also mean it's considered taboo for guests as well. Unless the bride has specified on the invites, wearing all white to someone else's bridal shower or rehearsal dinner is considered inappropriate, though it doesn't have to be completely absent, a pattern where white is one of several colors is fine for these smaller events, though it should probably be avoided completely at the main event. 

We purposely stocked our downstairs ready to wear boutique, Ground Floor, with lots of ivory and white for those brides looking to extend their use of the color to the other events around their wedding, but we still have tons of other options too. So don't feel pressured into being a slave to white for every party, but enjoy being the stand out in the room and wear something bold and beautiful to celebrate these special days. 

#1: Choose a height and stick with it! You hem will be done to match your show height, so if you change shoes, you change where your hem hits. It's better to choose one conservative height that you can be in all night, than wear something super tall, then drag the bottom of your dress when you switch to flip-flops. 

#2: Consider the surface! If you're getting married on grass, don't get a stiletto that won't allow you to walk. If it might be muddy, keep it closed-toe. Consider both the ceremony and reception sites, and make sure the shoes will work for both places. 

#3: Don't worry about color! Actually I should say, don't try to match. Different fabrics and different sheens means no color is going to match 100%. Anything in the ivory family looks good with ivory. Blush, nude, peach all look great with wedding dresses. And metallics and bright colors provide fun contrast. Don't obsess over matching an exact shade, they're under your dress!

#4: Give yourself a wide (price) range! Like everything else in the wedding, you'll probably have a budget, but remember to stay flexible. Being in extreme pain because you had to go with the more uncomfortable shoes that were $50 cheaper, not worth it. But blowing your budget on Jimmy Choo's that no one ever sees? Unless you're going to wear them again, don't do it!

We hope you enjoy our 12 ideas for wedding shoes, at every color, price, and height. And don't despair if you don't find them right away. Just like finding your dress, your venue, or your fiance, these things take time! 

{click here to see this board on pinterest}

Top L to R: elizabeth james, alejandro ingelmo, shoshanna, shoshanna, rebecca taylor, shoshanna

toodles,

{click here to see the board on pinterest}

Well, the great thing about wedding dresses is that they're designed to fit you the way garment "use to be made". That's right, the wistful longings of an era where off the rack didn't exist, everything was custom, and everything fit like a glove... it was a very different time with no numbers on the inside tag, and often no tag at all! So, how do we get there?

It all starts with the sample, that's what you try on first with us. Awkward, usually laughably huge or small, with clips, panels, and all kind of contraptions in the back to give you the best sense of what we're working with. This is the stage that requires the most imagination (and explanation) so you know what it'll ultimately look like on you. Most samples in a store will all be one size, and are really there to give you a sense of the big picture: fabric, shape, color, proportion. We talk through anything we see that won't be there on your dress (an off pucker or wear and tear) and help you visualize the end result. Once we've found the sample of the right style, we take measurements to find your size. Basically, we figure out the basic info to get a designer to give us a workable dress, a number size that coordinates with their patterns. That means nothing is too tight, the dress can hang naturally, line up on your body, and get its custom fit from there. Rarely if ever to dresses fit straight in from the designer, this is just to get us close so we can do the finish work with you. 

Then, it's on to alterations. This is really when the dress takes its final shape. Now that a brand new beautiful dress is on you, we can start adjusting everything. Nipping in a bust line, shortening the hem, setting a bustle. This is the custom fit part of your custom gown. It's all an art as opposed to a science, so often there will be choices and decisions to be made: take the hip in or leave it, french or english bustle, cup or no cup? There's not really a right answer, except that you want the fit that's the most secure, makes you feel the most beautiful, and doesn't fight what the designer made. Our seamstress matches the natural lines of the dress with the natural lines of your body, to create something that works for you. 

Things you should know: If certain elements are important to you in your dress, make sure they can be accomodated, and don't fight the design: low backs will usually mean less bust support, open backs definitely don't allow for a cinched waist. A light, floaty gown will not work skin tight and won't hold you in, a fitted gown will probably need to be hiked up a little to allow you to sit. Think of your seamstress as your guide through the wild world of custom garments, and let their expertise steer you in the right direction. And if something doesn't feel right, speak up, because they also won't automatically know if you need something just by looking at the outside of the dress. And in the end, you'll arrive with a beautifully cut dress that's truly been designed to fit you and only you. 

For those of us who are wedding "graduates" (are now happily married) we can probably point to a moment or two in the process where we kinda lost it. I've told a few people about my last minute freak-outs, including calling the Plaza (yeah, like THE Plaza, in NYC) at 11pm to find out if they could host something for us the following afternoon. Luckily no one laughed at loud at my request, and pleasantly informed me that there were no reservations available in the next 24 hours (ridiculous if you ask me) and so we carried on as planned, thank god!

There's something about the planning process that can turn us all a little nuts, and I decided that I didn't want to be part of the problem, I wanted to be part of the solution. So above and beyond making a point to make sure my brides really have a great time finding their dress, I've found my favorite site for my dose of daily zen cum inspiration, A Practical Wedding. 

Meg Keene's website dedicated to remembering that a wedding is a commencement ceremony, not a celebration of arriving at a certain day and having it look flawless, but a blessing to send people into a new, exciting phase of their lives. It's also a great place for wedding professionals  (like your friendly Anna Be staff) to remember that helping brides isn't about creating a frenzy and selling them on perfection, it's about celebrating their love and enjoying a memorable day with their friends and families. While it might not be as sprawling as the Knot, APW does offer loads of advice, from creative DIY wedding projects, to vendor recommendations and selection, to just a nice bit of advice about keeping your wedding manageable. 

And they host local meet-ups too! A great way to meet other like-minded brides and businesses that you can feel good supporting!