As many of you know, we love participating in styled shoots with our local wedding vendors. We’re fortunate to work alongside the best of the best and the finished product is nothing short of amazing. It is no surprise that many of these images are often featured on the social media pages of our designers.

We find it important for our brides to see our dresses on real girls, close to their age and at an actual venue rather than a studio.

As a bride, it can be difficult to find a style that works best for your body type if all you see is designer stock images of models. Our advice- when looking for wedding dress inspiration, look for images of girls with a similar body type to yours. At the very least, begin your dress shopping with an open mind. About 9 out of 10 brides we see end up falling in love with a dress that is the complete opposite of what they saw themselves coming in for.

It is perfectly OKAY to change your mind. After all, how much experience do you have trying on wedding dresses? We know this is all new and can be an intimidating process. That is why our core mission is to educate and comfort our brides, allowing them to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.

This most recent styled shoot focused on the versatile looks of many of our new gowns. Our Marsden gown for example, has the option of detachable off-the-shoulder sleeves. Although beautiful, sleeves can often restrict movement. With this type of gown, you could wear your sleeves during the ceremony and bridal portraits, then surprise your guests with an entirely different look for your reception, making it easier to dance and hug your guests.

Our Judson gown by Maggie Sottero Designs pairs beautifully with both our beaded cathedral veil and our fur shawl. Depending on your wedding season and venue, this gown can be accessorized a number of ways to suit your theme.

Another gown with multiple looks is our brand new Fall 2019 arrival Elke by Hayley Paige. This dress can be worn as a simple fitted silhouette or with a handkerchief skirt for more bounce and flow. It has become quite popular for brides to wear two different dresses on their big day. With the Elke gown, you can get two looks for the price of one gown!

A great way to tie your personality into your gown is through your shoes! One of our favorite new pair of Badgley Mischka shoes are the Finesse heels. They can be ordered in ivory, blush, or blue but we especially love the fun pop of color the blue pair adds to a dress. See below how we paired this shoe with our Tulua gown!

Having many options is great, but it can also become overwhelming. That is why every bride who sees us has a personal stylist to guide her through her appointment. Our stylists spend the first 10-15 minutes of your appointment getting to know you and your vision for your wedding. The more we learn about you, the easier it is for us to help you create your perfect bridal look!

Vendor Credit:

Photographer: Thomas Ross Photography, Hair/Makeup: Naturally Flawless, Florals: Urban Rubbish Weddings, Venue: Miramont Country Club

At Coreena’s, many of our brides love the idea of dressing up their gown with sparkling accessories. However, we find that they are often unsure where to start and that’s where our knowledge steps in. Not every dress needs to be decked out in multiple accessories. Sometimes a simple pair of earrings can do the trick. The idea is to compliment the gown in a cohesive way without distracting from the beauty or interrupting the design.

Figure 1 – Teagan by Maggie Sottero

While finding the perfect dress is step one of creating your ideal bridal look, accessories can play a large role in completing your ensemble. For example, let’s say you fall in love with a clean and simple gown (see Figure 1) but you find yourself wanting to add some flare that shows your personality. The bride in this photo chose a pair of pink tassel earrings and a gold bracelet to personalize an otherwise “traditional” gown. 

Necklace and Earring set by DS Bridal ($237)

However, let’s say a bride with the same dress wants to incorporate a sparkle aspect. Gowns with a lot of embellishment such as rhinestones and beading tend to be much more costly than a clean, more simple dress. This dress however, won’t break the bank and you can easily add a necklace and earring set to “bling it up.” If you find that is not enough, you can always add a belt and sparkly shoes for even more shine.

Figure 2 – Andrea by Kitty Chen

On the opposite spectrum, a gown that is heavily embellished (see Figure 2), needs very little to complete the look. Where some brides wouldn’t add any additional sparkle, others might want rhinestones from head to toe. The bride in this image chose a simple necklace and headpiece that beautifully echo the bead work on her gown.

As far as shoes go, we always stress that you should be comfortable on your big day. Think about how long you will be wearing your dress and more often than not, your shoes are not visible. That being said, a beautiful pair of shoes might be great for bridal portraits and getting ready photos, but maybe you opt for a more comfortable pair to walk down the aisle in. Some brides even choose to walk down the aisle in heels and then change into flats for the reception. However, you must keep in mind the length of your gown and the ease of walking once you remove that extra height.

Of course we cannot forget the epitome of bridal – the veil. While not every bride chooses to wear a veil, those that do have several styles to choose from. The important thing to remember is to choose a length that doesn’t “chop” your dress up in an unnatural way. Let your stylist guide you by having him/her explain the different lengths that pair best with specific silhouettes.

Your wedding venue also plays a key factor when picking a veil. Church weddings are a beautiful setting to create drama with a cathedral veil. Brides don’t run the risk of wind or snagging on an uneven surface. In addition, a bride seeking a traditional look might also opt for a blusher (a layer that covers the face) or a lace edge that frames her from head to train.

Other gowns and venues might better be suited for a fingertip length veil. For example, a gown with an elaborate train doesn’t always need the additional drama of a heavily embroidered cathedral veil. Rather, a simple tulle or rhinestone edge might just do the trick!

The keys to accessorizing are to listen to your stylist, try multiple options, and go with your gut! We often have brides come in for accessory appointments after they’ve purchased their gown. While dresses take four to six months to come in, accessories often take anywhere from one week to three months. Sometimes it is better to wait until your gown arrives and then schedule a time for a personal stylist to assist you. This way you don’t have to worry about feeling rushed and you can better envision the full look with a gown that is your size! Although the abundance of options can be overwhelming, we are here to make the experience enjoyable and stress-free!

If you’ve been following along with us on social media, you might have seen that we put on a fashion show at Peach Creek Ranch last month!

This was such an amazing opportunity for us to showcase our brand new arrivals as well as a few of our favorites! We featured 27 dresses and 9 models, ultimately closing the show with our signature Zander gown in Black by Maggie Sottero Designs.

All of the gowns were featured in two separate show times and with over 450 total attendees, the event was a huge success!

Behind the scenes, members of our staff hurriedly helped the models into their dresses and fluffed their trains as they began their walk down the runway provided by Details Party Rental.

Showcasing styles from each of our 6 total lines by our designers Hayley Paige, Maggie Sottero, Calla Blanche, and Kitty Chen, attendees were able to identify specific gowns using programs that we handed out before the show.

It has always been our mission to provide the most unique and jaw-dropping selection of bridal gowns, allowing brides that shop with us to truly make a statement with their wedding dress.

For this show, we put it all out there, presenting everything from bridal capes and pockets, to bohemian styles and a BLACK wedding gown! Yes that’s right, black! We pride ourselves on being just ahead of the curve for what today’s brides are asking for. That being said, don’t be surprised if at the next wedding you attend, you see a bride walking down the aisle in a black dress. 😉

With the help of Leanna Duran and her team at Naturally Flawless, our models were looking fierce with hair and makeup that perfectly fit the style of each of their three gowns. Meanwhile, the crowd sipped on bubbly cocktails provided by Luke’s Bartending Service, patiently waiting for J&A Entertainment to hop on the mike and announce the countdown between showtimes.

To add that “bridal flare” to our runway, Urban Rubbish provided a gorgeous

arrangement of flowers that truly brought the space to life.

Last, but certainly not least, Thomas Ross Photography captured every second of the show along with crowd reactions and behind the scenes action using two cameras and four Go Pros!

With the help of our incredible staff and these amazing vendors, we are proud to have put on a fashion show unlike anything College Station has ever seen. With this just being our first of many, we are excited to see how the show will grow and become even more polished as time goes by!

If you’d like to see more from this event, make sure to follow us on social media! We will be sharing more images and well as an exciting video that captures all of the action!

We are a little late on this post, but we are so excited to share with you guys our feature in Brazos Valley Bride Magazine Spring 2019 Edition!

We really embraced the “Modern Cinderella” theme and all of the vendors involved did a wonderful job at portraying a fairy tale wedding! From sparkle ballgowns to sleek fit-and-flare to long sleeves and blush, we really ran with the theme by capturing princess-like features.

Even the dreamy table decor gave us all the feels of romance!

Of course, we must talk about this work of art created by Top That! Cake Designs!

It doesn’t get more Cinderella than this cake!

We are so honored to be the featured bridal shop in this edition and it is always a blast working with other talented local vendors! Swing by our shop to pick up your free copy!

The End!

Vendors who made this possible

Photographer: Uncle Tio Photography

Venue: Inn at Quarry Ridge

Hair/Makeup: Chrome Hair Salon

Decor: Party Time Rentals

Cake: Top That! Cake Designs

Florals: Tricia Barksdale Designs

Production: Brazos Valley Bride

Wedding Gowns/Accessories: Coreena’s Bridal

We are so excited to share with you guys some really awesome events we having coming up this year! Listed below are the events we already have on our calendar and this list will most certainly grow, so refer to our website often to make sure you don’t miss anything!

Upcoming events are always posted at the bottom of our “News” page on our website, so you can refer to them at any time.

Best of Hayley Paige Trunk Show – February 8-17th: We have all of the top Hayley Paige styles in our store for a limited time! These gowns are also 10% off during our trunk show!

BABV Spring Bridal Show @ Brazos County Expo Center– February 24th (shop closed) Come see us at booth #508!

Calla Blanche Trunk Show – March 1-3rd: All Calla Blanche dresses will be 10% off!

Fashion Show @ Peach Creek Ranch – March 17th (shop closed): We will be putting on a fashion show showcasing our Spring 2019 arrivals during Peach Creek Ranch’s open house! Showtimes will be at 2pm and 3pm. Admission is free!

Kitty Chen Trunk Show – March 22-24th: We’ll have an extensive selection of Kitty Chen gowns in store for one weekend along with major discounts on accessories!

7F Lodge Live Wedding Experience – March 31st (shop closed): Come out to 7F Lodge’s open house to meet with local vendors as well as see what goes on behind the scenes during one of our styled shoots! Admission is free!

Best of Blush by Hayley Paige Trunk Show – April 12-14th: We will be showcasing the top Blush by Hayley Paige styles all in one place! All Hayley Paige gowns will also be 10% off during the trunk show!

Spring/Fall 2019 Blush by Hayley Paige Trunk Show – July 5-7th: We’re SUPER excited to showcase both the Spring 2019 AND the Fall 2019 Blush by Hayley Paige collections! These Fall 2019 gowns have NOT hit stores yet, so be the first to preview the new collection!!

Spring 2019 Hayley Paige Trunk Show – October 4-6th: Our Spring 2019 Hayley Paige gowns should all arrive by June, however, we only carry a small sample of the entire collection. Book an appointment this weekend to view the ENTIRE Spring 2019 Hayley Paige collection! All Hayley Paige gowns will be 10% off during the trunk show!

If you don’t already, follow us on Instagram @coreenasbridal to stay up to date with all events, sales, new arrivals, etc!

Brides are always going to be busy planning their perfect day and sometimes an important aspect of their day slips past them: their dress! Whether you are wondering when to purchase a dress, how long they take to come in, or even if you just need alterations, we will go over all these topics to make sure that you are prepared for your big day.

The first step is knowing when to purchase your dress. After you’ve said “yes” to your dream dress, we take your measurements and then place an order with the designer for the size with the closest fit. The sizes offered are based on standard bust, waist, and hip measurements and may not match up exactly with your body. For example, you might be a size 8 in the bust, a 6 in the waist, and a 10 in the hips. In this case, we would order the largest size and then alter the rest by taking in the bust and the waist as needed.

Designers don’t normally keep a large volume of dresses in stock. This is why they typically require four to six months from the time the gown begins production to the time it ships. After your gown arrives, we typically require at least eight weeks to alter your dress to ensure you get the perfect fit.

With this in mind, we suggest the perfect time to purchase your wedding gown is at least nine months prior to the wedding date or bridal portraits, whichever is earlier. This helps to ensure that the dress will be here in time and that any customizations/altering can be completed in time without incurring a rush fee.

If you are a bride with questions regarding timeline, ask your stylist for suggestions during your appointment. In the end, it is your day and you should feel at ease and assured that you will walk down the aisle in the dress of your dreams.

Wow…what an incredible turnout we had at our ribbon cutting last week! It is humbling to see such a fantastic show of support for our new business and we are thrilled to be a part of such a thriving community! We have enjoyed a very busy first three months of being open and we look forward to continuing to help brides find the gown of their dreams.

A special thank you to the BCS Chamber of Commerce, D’vine Cuisine, Donut Darlin’, Thomas Ross Photography, Bo Miles, Kelly Haverland, Sophie Gray, and Sam Taylor for helping us put this event together. Each of you served critical part that made this event so special.

Here’s to many years of success doing what we love!

We recently had the privilege to collaborate with some talented local wedding vendors on a uniquely romantic and edgy styled shoot. The final product is nothing short of pure magic and therefore, we have the honor of being featured on Green Wedding Shoes! Below you’ll see a sneak peak of the shoot along with a link to the Green Wedding Shoes blog. All of our bohemian brides, prepare to be inspired!

Photographer: Jamie Hardin Photography // Venue – 7F Lodge // Planning + Coordination – All Things Planned // Floral – Unforgettable Floral // Cake – Sandee’s Sweets

Hair + Makeup – Duo Derailed Salon // Bride Model – Katy Elmendorf // Groom Model – DJ Moon // Dress – Coreena’s Bridal  + Calla Blanche // Stationery + Place “Cards” – Davis Art Co.

Macramé Table Runner – The Foliage Room // Rugs – Southern Elegance Rentals // Reception Cloud – Downtown Event Services

With the recent release of the Fall 2018 Brazos Valley Bridal Magazine, it is time for us to begin working on the next issue to be released in February! This past Tuesday, we were able to partner with some fantastic vendors to produce the photo shoot for the Spring issue! Check out some live action videos and images on our Instagram story highlight titled BVB 2019 Mag.

In case you couldn’t tell from the cake and lovely decor, the theme for this shoot was “Modern Day Cinderella.” We were so excited when we heard this was the theme because let’s face it, we have no shortage of princess fairy tale gowns! Enjoy the sneak peak below and stay tuned for the release of this next issue!

Top That! Cake Designs