We have had many brides come in to Shadows looking for a dress for their wedding on a yacht. What a perfectly romantic and inspiring setting for ones marriage! It is a treat for the Bride and Groom as well as guests to be on San Francisco Bay with the views of the City, Marin mountains and the Golden Gate Bridge! There a few things to keep in mind when searching for a wedding dress for a nautical wedding.
1. It will be much easier to navigate the narrow companionways and decks of a yacht if one’s dress has a slim skirt instead of a ballgown.
2. It is recommended and sometimes required to wear non spiky heels, such as flats or wedges, with light colored soles, so that the decks are not damaged.
3. It is often much cooler on the Bay than on land, so even mid summer, a lovely cover up is a good idea, as you might want to wear it all day!
Here’s a photo of a gorgeous Nicole Miller wedding dress.We have many of her styles, all slim and comfortable.
3.Tafetta and Organza. #3 of a 4 part series about the most popular silk fabrics used in wedding dresses. 
Taffeta is a crisp, smooth, not too shiny fabric made from silk or synthetic fibers. It is a "high end" fabric, suitable for use in wedding dresses, Mother of the bride and ball gowns. Lighter in weight than satin, but still has enough body to hold shape. The most deluxe taffetas are woven in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, but most silk taffeta is produced in India and Pakistan. We have seen lovely 1950s vintage wedding dresses made from taffeta. Shadows has many contemporary taffeta gowns by Casablanca and Sophia & Camilla in the ever popular ruched A-line and “Fit and Flare” styles. Check out this one by Casablanca.
Organza is a thin, crisp, sheer fabric traditionally made from silk. It is strong and durable with a firm hand and flat, smooth texture. Nowadays, though many organzas are woven with synthetic fibers such as polyester, the most luxurious organzas are still woven in silk. The open weave is naturally stiff without the addition of any "stiffeners", so it’s great for use in wedding dresses. Silk organza is also lovely for Mother of the Bride. It is suited to both the fanciest full ballgowns with appliquéd lace, or simple Tea length dresses with little or no embellishment. Shadows has examples of both these styles:a Vintage 1956 Priscilla of Boston wedding gown, and Jasmine Couture style #T282.
Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom, this is dedicated to you. When your daughter or son finds their life partner there are so many reasons to celebrate. Many times the mother of the bride or groom may feel that they need to take a back step. The truth is that you need to step into this role in a manner that speaks of your role as a mother. This is a proud time, where you stand to shine. Finding the color, the fabric and silhouette are the main objectives to finding your perfect dress. The protocol usually states that you find out the colors of the wedding, bridesmaids dress and then the mother of the bride. Your colors should be in a hue that is complementary to those of the wedding. Think of yourself as a flower within a bouquet. At shadows we provide customer service and selection to meet your individual needs. Call today to schedule an appointment.
San Francisco Ballet principal dancers are wed. The Bride, a dancer with SF Ballet since 1997, wore a Sue Wong gown to their Civil Ceremony at San Francisco City Hall. 
Read more about the lovely couple at http://imgs.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/14/LV731KIN8Q.DTL
Our phone is ringing with requests for a dress like Kate Moss'. Many of our Sue Wong styles have similar details to her dress, and we have a gorgeous Jenny Packham gown on consignment (never worn) that is very similar too. 
Here at Shadows we see brides of all ages, as well as many Mothers of the Occasion. We enjoy helping them find something they love and feel beautiful in for the special day. Here is a lovely article addressing the subject of aging and inner beauty. http://www.examiner.com/etiquette-in-national/etiquette-of-aging?CID=examiner_alerts_article
A lovely article about the incomparable Sue Wong, who
has a fascinating life story. Here at Shadows we are huge fans of her designs. She is making exqusite and affordable "modern heirlooms", perfect for the bride with a love for Vintage style. http://singularcity.com/singular-celebrities/792-sue-wong-celebrity-fashion-designer
2. Satin, Crepe back satin, Charmeuse. #2 of a 4 part series about the most popular silk fabrics used in wedding gowns.
Silk Duchess Satin is the most luxurious silk satin for bridal gowns. It has a nice sheen and is ideal for gowns with body and structure. It gives gowns a very formal and traditional look. The hand feel is wonderful, silky soft, yet substantial. I found this description on a fabric website “Rich. Full bodied. Medium to heavy weight with good body -- not fluid, no drape.” Sounds like fine wine!
Crepe back satin is a lightly textured reversible fabric with crepe (matte finish with a bumpy texture) on one side and a high luster satin on the other. Very slinky and flows well, drapey like charmeuse but thicker. The best dresses from the 1930’s-1940’s were made of crepe back satin. The thicker weave gives bias cut dresses a more elegant and less nightgown like look than thin charmeuse.
Charmeuse looks like satin but is softer and lighter in weight. The front side of the fabric has a shiny satin finish, the back side is matte The luster and delicate hand make charmeuse suited to flowing evening gowns. For bridal gowns it is used in fluid, slinky bias cut dresses ( the pattern is cut on the diagonal) which cling and hang against the body instead of A-line styles since the fabric does not hold a shape well. It is a difficult fabrics to sew, being slippery and hard to control and seams have a tendency to pucker and pull. That is the trade off for the stylish and old Hollywood glamour of bias cut dresses.
1.Shantung, Duppioni, Raw silk
#1 of a 4 part series about the most popular silk fabrics used in wedding gowns. Today I will cover Shantung, Duppioni and raw silk. The different terms describe the treatment, weaving and spinning techniques of the silk fibers. Shantung and Duppioni can also be made from other fibers such as cotton or Polyester.
Silk Shantung is a kind of silk that was traditionally woven in the Shantung Province of China. It has a bit of texture from the fiber threads, which are spun with irregular thickness, giving it a nice natural look and feel. It has a soft sheen, without being too shiny. Shantung is one of the most popular fabrics for wedding dresses.
Silk Dupionni looks similar to silk Shantung but with more texture due to intentional irregularities in the fiber. Duppioni lends a more casual look to gowns, and so it is often a good choice for an informal wedding or for bridesmaids or Mother of the Occasion.
Raw silk has a completely different feel than other silk fabrics because it has not been degummed. This means that the sericin, which is a substance made from the silk moth that works as a natural protecting layer around the silk thread, has not been taken away. Raw silk feels slightly sticky, though it leaves no residue on the hand. For other silk fabrics this has been washed away giving the fabric a smoother touch. Shantung and Duppioni are not raw silks, though they are often mistakenly thought of as such.
Birdcage veils with feathers and flowers continue to be very popular! Madison Avenue Designs is a boutique designer that creates unique and artistic hairpeices with or without net. We chose a fun selection for Shadows with champagne colored peacock feathers, silk flowers and a natural yet high style look, perfect for the outdoor wedding in a woodsy setting or to compliment an avant garde dress.
