Much like love itself, the origins of Valentine’s Day is surrounded with much mystery. What is known is that the day is a celebration of its patron saint Valentine. There are many stories of Valentine himself, one is Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. At that time Emperor Claudius II ruled that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, so naturally he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, who clearly saw the impossibilities in this decree, went behind Claudius’ back and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Inevitably, Valentine was found out and was promptly put to death. But his fight for love was never forgotten and we still honor him and all he did for love.
A love connection.
Modern valentines were first produced in Worcester, MA our hometown! In 1847 Esther Howland began making Valentines out of her home and selling them in her father’s stationary and bookstore on Main Street. They were such a wild success that she hired young ladies and started making them in an assembly line fashion. Each woman added bits of colored paper and European lace making unique and beautiful cards. The picture below is an example of their work. In 1879 she joined forces with a family friend Edward Taft and formed the New England Valentine Company.
A tradition of love
Following in Esther’s and our city’s tradition of love we would like to present to you some of our lovely wedding accessories that are sure to add sparkle, and an extra element of love to your special day.
If it is touches of red that you are looking for check out our veil 665 in ivory/red. This stunning double layer elbow length is sure take your guest’s breathe away with its red satin trim as you walk down the aisle!
Hearts are the perfect representation of love, and what better way to show how you are feeling than with heart shaped accessories. Check out our enchanting heart shaped cake toppers. This picture shows our French Flower Single Heart Cake Topper. This sterling silver plated heart features sparkling Swarovski crystals; a perfect way to draw attention to your exquisite and delicious cake.
Our earring 24094 in silver/clear is another stunning heart themed accessory for your day. It’s silver plating and clear Swarovski crystals will draw all of your guest’s eyes up to your glowing face.
We sincerely hope that your start the year off with a bang. And may your February and Valentine’s Day be filled with lots of love. And remember to show how much you love someone every day, not just on February 14th!
This holiday season we would like to wish you happy tidings. Whether they consist of comfort and joy will be up to you, but we here at Wedding Factory Direct would like to put all of your concerns at ease with the announcement of our holiday hours. The abbreviated hours and shipping schedule are as follows:
December 24, 2009 we will close at 2pm. UPS will not be picking up, but USPS will have an early pick up. Be sure to get those orders in early!!
December 25, 2009 closed.
December 31, 2009 we will close at 2pm. UPS will not be picking up, but USPS will have an early pick up. Be sure to get those orders in before the new year!!
January 1, 2010 will surely be a late start for all, we are planning to be open from 12-4 pm. There will be no UPS, and USPS will be limited if at all.
If you have any further questions or conerns please feel free to contact us. Our email address is info@weddingfactorydirect.com or call our toll free number 1-800-790-4325. Happy Holidays, see you in the New Year!!!
This month we are running a special coupon offer on our very extensive inventory of bridal veils. We are offering 20% off of any veil! Follow this link to our fabulous website (http://www.weddingfactorydirect.com), once you place your order at checkout just type “Veil” into the coupon code section of your online purchase. The coupon will be applied to the item after your purchase is made. One discount per customer. Offer valid through December 31st, available online only for a one-time use, and does not apply to previous orders. Also check out our very informative newsletter about the history of veils, and current veil trends (all of which we carry)!
Although www.WeddingFactoryDirect.com and Elegance by Carbonneau tries to keep all of our merchandise in stock, we do, occasionally, run out of an item and need to order more.
What’s easier than having all of our out-of-stock merchandise rounded up into one area on our website, all for your checking pleasure? Nothing. Which is why we have decided to create a page on our site for all of our out-of-stock items.
The page is being updated as I type this, and soon, you will be only a simple click away from seeing the status of any item on our website.
Happy clicking! Here’s the link: http://weddingfactorydirect.com/outofstock.html.
The most versatile of jewelry pieces, the brooch can be worn in any way imaginable. Well, within reason.
Wear them in your hair (using one of our slide-on comb pin adapters or simple bobby pins), on your dress, on your winter coat, on the lapel of a casual blazer. In a car, at a bar, in a chair, over there, you can wear them anywhere.
Loving Melania Trump’s hip ornament? Check out our Brooch 13: http://www.weddingfactorydirect.com/brooch-13-silver.html. Wear it on the front of your dress with minimal jewelry: an exquisite accessory to any event you can think of.
If there is a celebrity who embodies elegance, style, and all that is girl power, it is Drew Barrymore. (In this writer’s humble opinion, anyway.) And if there is a bridal accessory that embodies the very same things? Why, it’s the birdcage veil, of course. So when Drew Barrymore showed up to the premier of her new HBO film, “Grey Gardens”, wearing a beaded Alberta Ferretti dress and a cage veil earlier this year, I nearly spilled my coffee.
Barrymore’s veil gives her a decidedly Old Hollywood look, which is more than appropriate when she is attending a movie premier for a film about Big Edie Ewing and her daughter, Little Edie Bouvier Beale, two theatrical women who were once a part of Old New York’s elite. (Fun fact? Big Edie was Jackie O’s aunt.)
“Now Renee,” you’re asking me. “Is it possible that Elegance by Carbonneau and www.WeddingFactoryDirect.com carry these birdcage veils we’re hearing so much about?” Oh, beloved retailer. You bet we do.
You’re about to hear all about veils in our upcoming newsletter (you’ll receive it at the beginning of next week), but let me give you a brief taste of the kind of birdcage veils we carry.
Check out our HP 8307, shown below: http://www.weddingfactorydirect.com/clelvibrhatw.html.
Or take a look around our birdcage section: http://www.weddingfactorydirect.com/brfefa.html.
Think this is exciting? Just wait. We’ll be adding about two dozen new birdcage styles online within the next two weeks.
Where our office and warehouse are located, it is currently snowing. I’m serious. (If you are a Minnesota retailer, this won’t be hard to believe.) Driving through the flurries on my way to work this morning, my thoughts turned to writing a winter wedding jewelry post. So here I am. Posting about winter wedding jewelry.
Take a look at our NE 8100, shown to the left in silver white. You can find the piece at:http://www.weddingfactorydirect.com/stwhsnbrjese.html. Whether worn at a winter wedding or a Snow Ball, this necklace and earring set is an intricate and snowy accessory to your chilly festivities. The pieces coordinate beautifully with either a white or an ivory wedding dress.
On the right, you’ll see NE 20121. (http://www.weddingfactorydirect.com/elpecrbrchse.html) “Why, that doesn’t look inherently wintry,” you might be thinking. “Where are the snowflakes? Where is the holly?” There are no snowflakes. There isn’t any holly. But imagine this necklace and earring set with your winter wedding dress. The choker is stunning, complimented with simple faux pearl earrings.
Are winter wedding couples obligated to use greens and reds as their accent colors? Of course not. (Though greens and reds can rock a winter wedding in so many ways. But that is a post for another time. A newsletter, even.) Explore pearl and rhinestone options. See what a blue accent color can do for your winter white or ivory dress. And have fun! If winter doesn’t enchant with snow angels, snowball fights, and wassailing, then I don’t know what does. Consider some truly inspired centerpiece options. See what happens when you fill a clear vase with cranberries and a single candle. Make place cards out of paper snowflakes. But first, enjoy this premature winter we’re having. Get inspired with some chilly winter wedding ideas.
Last night was The Office Wedding. I found myself weeping into a napkin (I’m a crier: I’ll admit it) but not before noticing Pam’s veil. Readers, veils are not simply a leftover from the 1800s. They add this indescribable bridal finish to a wedding dress, and today, that’s what I’m blogging about. So grab your coffee, settle in, and blog with me.
Jim and Pam. We’ve laughed with them. We’ve loved with them. And, if you’re like me, we’ve sobbed ourselves into a puddle with them. We watched them walk down the aisle last night, after their co-workers danced hysterically in a salute to the “JK Wedding Entrance Dance” video on YouTube. (If you haven’t seen this video, readers, you must. Just for you, I’ve included it at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!) The wedding wasn’t without the usual pre-moment problems, and we witnessed a very pregnant Pam having a breakdown over her torn veil. (Being five months pregnant, she wasn’t able to wear the dress or heels she had wanted to. She made up for them both with a veil that she loved.) Torn or not, Pam’s elbow length double layer veil was stunning. “Wait just a second,” you’re thinking. “An elbow length double layer veil? Don’t you swell people over at Elegance by Carbonneau and www.WeddingFactoryDirect.com carry the very same sort of veil?” You bet your sweet bridal accessories we do. You can find them at : http://weddingfactorydirect.com/elbowlength.html
Pam’s veil wasn’t the only accessory that intrigued me. Her pearl necklace and earring set seemed the perfect compliment to the veil and dress. In my humble and researched opinion, brides and pearls go together like chocolate and wine. Check out our NE 130, shown below. http://www.weddingfactorydirect.com/pedrgoandivp.html
That’s all for this post, Readers. But keep your eyes open for our next newsletter, and as always, keep reading! Oh- and that video I promised you. It’s below. Happy viewing!
Are you an Elegance by Carbonneau retailer? Have you been missing our fabulous (if I do say so myself) newsletters? Well, put down the Kleenex. We can fix this. Just email us at: info@weddingfactorydirect.com with the subject heading “Add Me”. Be sure to include your business name and information in the email.
The newsletter is emailed monthly, and is full of information regarding our newest products, trends that are sweeping the bridal nation, and one coupon a month. (Despite the witty and brilliant content of the newsletters, the coupon may just be the best part.)
Gloves might just be the perfect way to add elegance, romance, and classic appeal to a wedding dress. Audrey Hepburn rocked them, and so will your customers.
Elegance by Carbonneau and www.WeddingFactoryDirect.com offer a wide variety of bridal gloves, including our best-selling Above Elbow Length, Sheer, Simple Full Finger, Embellished, Ring Finger, Fingerless, Wrist Length, Below Elbow Length, Opera Length, and Children’s Gloves. Check out our entire glove section at: http://weddingfactorydirect.com/gloves.html.
While bridal gloves are a stunning addition to the wedding dress at any time of year, they make a lot of sense (fashion sense and actual sense) as the season becomes colder. As we prepare for the upcoming fall wedding season, keep our collection of bridal gloves in mind.
. Looking for something similar? Try our Brooch 8779. 
Barrymore’s veil gives her a decidedly Old Hollywood look, which is more than appropriate when she is attending a movie premier for a film about Big Edie Ewing and her daughter, Little Edie Bouvier Beale, two theatrical women who were once a part of Old New York’s elite. (Fun fact? Big Edie was Jackie O’s aunt.)
Take a look at our NE 8100, shown to the left in silver white. You can find the piece at:
Gloves might just be the perfect way to add elegance, romance, and classic appeal to a wedding dress. Audrey Hepburn rocked them, and so will your customers.
