Admittedly, this Priscilla of Boston dress is the most ball gown-y of my Top Ten, but the restrained proportions on the skirt, gorgeous fabric and just the right touch of detail at the bodice won me over (not to mention pockets!  on a ball gown!  yay!)  Constructed entirely out of silk satin, this strapless ball gown has a hand-draped and (not to) full skirt that’s accentuated with crystal appliques. 

Also a strong contender for my Priscilla slot, this gown with it’s slightly less formal fabric and matching bolero.  Again, saw it in person and it’s AWESOME. Both are perfect for my country club brides out there!

I can hardly wait to see what my favorite designers have in store for us this weekend.  Sadly, I don’t be at market this time around, but I’ll be following along with all the fun on Twitter. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little walk down memory lane of some of the season’s most gorgeous dresses.  Recapping all these dresses has been both fun and inspiring.  Fun because…well…they’re gorgeous, what’s not fun about that?  And inspiring because I’m starting to re-gain some confidence in my ability to pick winners that not only I like, but that today’s brides can see themselves in too.  Maybe my imaginary store won’t need to be imaginary for much longer?  Thank you all for your wonderful and supportive emails on the topic!

For a slightly different take on the 3-dimensional fabric flower design from that Liancarlo gown, I LOVE this design from Melissa Sweet.  It’s got a little more va-va-voom than the Liancarlo gown, thanks to the slinky fit-to-flare silhouette.  And I love how the floral motif is brought up to the diagonally draped bodice with that flirty flower petal on the bust. 

What do you think?  Do you have a favorite between Melissa Sweet’s Uma and Liancarlo’s 4804?  I was hesitant to include 2 such similar dressse but I love each’s use of dimensional fabric details and, amazingly, the differing silhouettes really makes them feel unique to me. 

My next two dresses are similiar in their flirty use of fabric flower “petals”.  This first one from Liancarlo is so dreamy.  I saw this dress in person when it debuted and I can tell you it is STUNNING.  It’s super fun and manages to feel young but mature at the same time.  Liancarlo has its heritage in women’s evening gowns.  They are masters of fit and proportion, 2 things you take for granted but that immediately rear their ugly heads when you put on a pretty dress and it’s just “not right”. 

This dress is Italian tulle with a perfect sweetheart neckline and tiered skirt adorned with handmade silk petals.  The satin ribbon at waist is a wonderful touch as well.  I love how it adds definition to the middle of the gown.

Is this not the perfect spring time wedding dress?  I can see it floating down the aisle toward the wisteria-laden pergola at the Duke Gardens or exchanging vows under a thousand year old live oak in Charleston.  LOVE!

Winnie Couture has some amazing, over the top dresses (Tahlia style 3139 anyone) but it’s actually their Destination line with its lighter fabrics, slimmer silhouettes and modest trains that I love.  It always breaks my heart when I hear destination brides lament that they’ll “probably just get a simple dress at Nordstroms or something”.  Why should they be denied the chance to wear a truly special gown just because their aisle is sand covered or what have you?

Essex is a strapless silk chiffon gown with ruched wrap bodice and embroidered belt at waistline.  I love the light fabric combined with just a touch of sparkle at the waist.  The perfect fabric puddle is just enough train to make you feel like this is actually a wedding gown, but not so much that you’ll be worried about wearing it outdoors. 

Yes in my imaginary bridal boutique, there is a nice selection for my Outer Banks to Folly Beach and everywhere in between brides!

While you’ll be hard pressed to see this designer advertised anywhere, Amy Kuschel and her eponymous line of dresses have been on the scene for a while, consistently delivering modern, highly customized gowns our of their San Francisco headquarters.  She works in some wonderful fabrics and her silhouettes always strike me as perfect for a garden or destination bride (though this dress would be just as at home in a ballroom!).

June features a modern bellgown silhouette, fabricated in rich Mikado.  I love it as shown here in the “Tux” neckline but it’s also available with a bold flower at center for a more classic, polished look.  And those pockets!  I am such a sucker for pockets on a wedding gown!  True to her customization creedo, you are free to choose your level of luxury with Italian Silk Mikado or Japanese Mikado.

I’m super excited to see this season’s creations and hear more about her new customization options that include 25 gowns in various fabrications to include less expensive alternatives to some of the lines most luxurious fabrics.