Three great options, from left: A gorge but pricey number from Monique Lhuillier; Thread’s $545 Scarlett dress; Thread’s $775 Lily dress

Planning our wedding was a sobering affair–at least financially. Needless to say, throwing down for a four-figure dress can feel a tad indulgent. Some will spend $5,000 on a Vera Wang confection. Others go the vintage route, and some have gone off-the-rack, scoring divine frocks from department and specialty stores. We believe that a divine gown doesn’t have to cost as much as a Honda, so that’s why we launched our collection of wedding dresses. Some are under $500, but the more deluxe versions can fetch up to $2,000. Check out the full range here–and if you’re in a hurry, no problem. We can finish these in as little as six weeks!

One thing I knew for certain: I wanted my wedding to be a celebration—a cocktail party of sorts. I immediately ruled out a sit-down dinner on the grounds that too much food means less mingling (and therefore less fun). Instead, we went with rustic, passed hors d’ouevres from Gemma, a hip downtown NYC restaurant located in the new Bowery hotel. Later on, we served Pop Burger and pizza on the side of the dance floor. There was never a break in momentum, and the experienced proved one of our longest-held theories: Many people prefer delicious nibbles to a super-fancy, multi-course meal.

This photo was taken on the set of Gossip Girl, where New York socialite Tinsley Mortimer recently filmed a cameo appearance. Her dress is–get this!–Thread Social, our line of party dresses sold at Henri Bendel, Intermix, and loads of specialty stores. We loaned the frock to the Gossip Girl costume team, and we’re thrilled to find that it made its way into an episode. Love! Naturally, this shot inspired us–who doesn’t love an all-white wedding? Talk about chic. If the dresses are short and borderline casual, they can act as a great frame for your stunning long sheath. And it avoids that whole color debacle, which can be torturous for some brides.

XOXO, Thread Said

Obviously, we’ve all seen Sex and the City. (At least once.) And while Carrie’s raucous Vivienne Westwood gown was standout indeed, what piqued our interest was her gutsy choice of headgear. We’re not quite that brave, but we do love the idea of including a bit of hat action in your wedding. After all, the Europeans do this religiously–and flawlessly. (Check out these specimens from Britain’s recent Royal Ascot event, as documented in the New York Times.) They’re especially stunning in spring or summer. So the next time you’re a wedding guest, why not dress up your favorite little black dress with a stunning piece of head candy, even if it’s a headband? Courageous brides, it’s something worth considering…

Hey girls, it’s Melissa. I was married in December, so needless to say, I’m still in wedding mode. I’ll be sharing a few things I’ve learned with you every week. Today: Black is back.

Now, we love brights and pastels here at Thread, but for my wedding, I wanted something with a little edge. So I asked my bridesmaids to pick out their favorite dress from our bridesmaid or Thread Social collections…and made it for them in black! Not only was it easy and painless, not a single one needed alterations. Better yet, my girls all have genius LBDs that they can wear again and again and again. Not a single one ended up on the closet floor at the end of the night! OK, one more confession—Beth and I lent out a few other LBDs for the occasion…to twentyish of our closet friends! The more LBDs, the merrier…

…We have a few ideas for you. Prepping one’s skin for the big day is a notoriously tricky affair. When to exfoliate? When to (fake) tan? The whole thing’s got us confused. What we know for sure: That the Oxygen Blast Facial at Bliss makes us glow unabashedly. Even if you don’t live in Bliss-endowed locals (New York, Chicago, London, Scottsdale, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles), you can still spoil yourself. Bliss has created an at-home version in the form of the Triple Oxygen Mask , which gives that positively dewy look after a mere five minutes. We use it twice weekly just for kicks. And it’s a nice treat for your bridesmaids instead of, oh, an entire day at the spa.

We get this all the time: “Where do I wear my blue?” Some ladies go for shoes, of sashes, or even hairpieces, but we think the most obvious choice is underwear. A few Thread-endorsed options:

Boy shorts from Eberjey. A touch sporty, these feel slightly subversive underneath a very femme gown.

Striped ruffle-trim bloomers from Victoria’s Secret. A little bit cotton, a little bit country. Enough said.

Agent Provocateur’s Marylin thong. OK, these are not for the faint of heart, but there are surely some supersexy gals who can pull them off.

Is there anything more intimidating than looking for a styish pair of (gulp) white shoes? We think not. After much deliberation—and consultation with a few blistered newlyweds—we’re declaring revolution on those tired, satin styles that remind us of prom, circa 1989. Before you even think about trying this, get a very good pedicure. (New Yorkers, we highly recommend Rescue Beauty Lounge; everyone else, take a good, hard look at the Montauk the End, Allure, and Ballet Slippers shades—perfect baby pinks.) It’s all about the strappy-ish sandal in a neutral shade, especially for warm-weather weddings. A few we can believe in:

Christian Louboutin’s patent peep-toe. OK, they’re expensive, but there are so many ways to justify the $796 price tag. Not only are these babies sweetly sexy, the neutral shade works with most dresses–and can be worn with many thereafter.

Prada’s cage-toe sandals. These gamine stunners work wonders for brides with wider feet, who are looking for an open design and low heel for maximum comfort (and even more maximum style, bien sur.)

Nine West’s Vernazza flat. For beachy brides, these are low-key and completely effortless. And at $49.99, it’s totally fine if they wash away into the surf.

After years of dressing thousands of bridesmaids, brides and wedding guests all over the country, we’ve just about seen and heard everything bridal. Through it all, we’ve worked hard to keep you stylish, chic and satisfied. The most important day of your life is just the beginning, so let’s have some fun with it, shall we? So welcome to Thread Said, our weekly blog where we’ll reveal our secrets for surviving the madness and emerging on top. We’ve got plenty of advice you haven’t heard before about how to break traditions, make a unique statement and keep your cool. Here at Thread, we’ve recently celebrated our first wedding within our own ranks—and we’ve got two more happening in the next six months. So join us on these crazily fun journeys, and let’s learn from each other along the way.
–Beth Blake and Melissa Akey, designers/owners, Thread