Wednesday 11 December 2013

REAL BRIDE: Sarah MacKenzie

Our December bride is the lovely Sarah. 

Sarah came in store knowing exactly what she was after; however after being inspired by our fabrics, her bridal party colour palette most definitely changed. 

Sarah fell in love with a beautiful printed silk dupion with accents of soft blues and purples,  and wanted to incorporate it into her bridal party. This lead to the transition from apple green bridesmaids, which Sarah always envisioned, to 'Riviera' blue. The junior bridesmaids were then dressed in the printed silk dupion, which tied in with the bridesmaids perfectly. 


The whole bridal party was a beautiful story of riveting blue hues with touches of violet purple, all complimenting Sarah's luxurious Platinum 'Amelia' duchess silk wedding gown. 

We had so much fun assisting Sarah in creating her bridal party colour story. Here is a small interview we had with Sarah and her beautiful images of her big day. 

Thank you Sarah for allowing us to be part of your special day! 


1.   How did you hear about Selective Fine Fabrics?

My mum and I came down from north Brisbane after finding SFF online.  When we visited, Melissa recommended our dressmaker, Frida to us. 

2.  Why did you decide to get your wedding dress made/ would you recommend it for any                  future brides?

Absolutely.  I always knew what I wanted and I dreaded searching for days and not being able to find it – so having it made seemed the best option.

3.   How would you describe your experience at SFF?

It was excellent!  The range and quality of the fabrics is exceptional.  We originally went in to get plain green silk but once we had a look around and spoke to Melissa, we got a lot more adventurous!

4.   Where did you find inspiration for your bridesmaids? Did you always want to get something         made to measure for them?

 Our inspiration actually came once we saw the painted silk fabric – I loved it instantly so we built the colour palette around it.  The bridesmaids wore vintage blue wiggle dresses with purple lining which looked beautiful with the floral flower girls dresses and my dress, which was a pale silver grey duchess silk.

5.   What would be the best advice you would give to any future bride?

 Look around for single elements you like and dislike and then decide on a style that will flow through your whole wedding.  When you’re clear on that, it’s easier to see when something fits with that style – colours, fabrics, designs and all the finishing touches.











Wednesday 27 November 2013

REAL BRIDE : Candice Gessner

Hi Everyone!

So sorry that we have been absent the past few months. Selective Fine Fabrics has had a world-wind year with so many weddings and formals! We have also updated our website so make sure you check that out www.selectivefinefabrics.com.au

We are excited to introduce something new and exciting to our blog! We will be featuring an interview with one of our past real brides every month including pictures of the dress and their big day. We will be asking all sorts of questions in regards to the dress, the venue and even honeymoon ideas. So if there is anything in particular you would like for us to ask feel free to comment below!

Our first real bride is the gorgeous Candice. As you will read below, we were fortunate enough to have met Candice when she came in for her formal fabric. More than 10 years on, we were absolutely delighted to see her back, but now for her wedding dress! It was also an absolute pleasure to help Candice with her beautiful bridesmaids and her mother Pam's outfit. Here is the interview we had with Candice and some beautiful pictures of her big day taken by Van Middleton photography.


REAL BRIDE: Candice Gessner 


1. How did you hear about Selective Fine Fabrics? 
I first heard about Selective Fine Fabrics 11 years ago when I purchases my year 12 formal material. Walking into SFF Anna greeted us with the biggest smile and 11 years on walking into the store ,Anna still remembered my mum and I and still had that infectious smile.  

2. Did you start your design process with a sketch/picture or were you inspired by fabrics? 
I only had an idea in my head of what I thought I wanted. I knew I wanted “bling” and I had a fair idea of what style/fabric/colour. After 5 minutes of being in store at SFF and seeing their amazing bridal range, I knew I was in the right place. After playing with fabrics and beading with Melissa, I was lucky enough to be introduced by Anna to a dress maker who was in store at the time. After meeting with Svetlana and having Melissa’s great design/colour knowledge my dream dress was coming to life on paper. I left that day with my bridal & bridesmaids material and it only took 2 hours!

3. Why did you decide to get your wedding dress made? Would you recommend it for any future brides? 
I knew I was never going to be a typical bride who would find her dress off the rack BUT I also wanted to do the “bridey” thing and try on wedding dresses. Trying on dresses was a great way for me to see what style suited my body shape and what didn't so I knew exactly what I wanted to get made. Choosing your wedding dress is such a personal thing. If you are a bride who loves something different I would 100% recommend having your dress made.

4. How would you describe your experience at SFF?
The most satisfying experience a bride could have in the preparation for her wedding. The team at SFF helped me create a dress that I would not of found anywhere in the world. I still pull my dress out of the cupboard and hold it up to the light just to see it glisten in the sun.

5. What did you think of the range at SFF?
If you’re looking for something different there is no other fabric store in Australia that holds the key to an amazing outfit. SFF's extensive range of fabric & colours makes for your perfect outfit.  The team at SFF take time to drape different colours and fabrics on you to give you an idea of what you can create with different style and colour. 

6. Did you always want to get your bridesmaid dresses made to measure as well? 
Again, I knew I wanted something different and amazing for my bridesmaids. I was sick of seeing the same style bridesmaid’s dresses. After searching the internet I found a picture of something I liked. I showed Melissa & Svetlana the style of the dress and straight away they chose an amazing  colour & fabric which was just gorgeous and complimented my wedding dress and theme beautifully.

7. Where did you have your wedding reception? 
We had our wedding reception at Victoria Park Golf Complex. We had a large guest list and I wanted a venue where we could have our ceremony and reception all in the one place.  Victoria Park offered the perfect setting.  We had a gorgeous ceremony planned outside on the deck next to the garden marque but due to wet weather at the last minute, the ceremony was moved into the bar area of the reception.  It was still gorgeous and at the end of the day I still got to marry my husband

8. Did you have a wedding theme? 
I had a modern vintage theme. I wanted the elegance of white wedding with a touch of vintage. I brought the vintage theme in with tin pails with baby’s breath and a chalk board guest seating chart.  .

9. Where did you choose to go for your honeymoon?
My husband and I chose to go to Fiji for our honeymoon. My husband travels long hours for his work so didn’t want to travel for hours but still wanted and island holiday.  We spent 7 nights at the Sheraton Resort on Denarau Island. It was fantastic. On our last day Ben surprised me with a private boat charter to a private island in the middle of the ocean. It was a Perfect way to end our honeymoon. 

10. What would be the best advice you would give to any future brides?
Planning our wedding was so stress free. I had the most amazing people working with me to create our day. My advice is to find a team of people who you connect with. Give yourself time to plan and once you have made a decision don’t go back on it. It’s such a fun time in your life so don’t sweat the small stuff. 





Candice and her bridesmaids all in 100% silk gowns

Pam's Mother of Bride outfit- Silk, tulle and exclusive crystal motif.









Tuesday 26 February 2013

Formal Inspirations- The Oscars 2013

We can't believe it's February already! Life at Selective Fine Fabrics has been non stop. We are getting deliveries of amazing fabrics almost weekly. Our latest shipment is a collection of Guipure Laces in a range of gorgeous colours from perfect mother of the bride pinks to the brights we are seeing in the latest collections overseas. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for the latest updates on our new arrivals.

February is the time of year when shopping for fabric for formal dresses really starts. School formals now start in March and go through to November, so we are getting lots of lovely students into the store.

You would have to be living under a rock not to know the Oscars were on Monday and this is where we find a lot of girls get their inspiration from. We were overwhelmed to see quite a few dresses that were right on trend with our new fabric collections. One that stood out to us was the beautiful partner of George Clooney, Stacy Keibler in a Naeem Khan beaded gown.
Left photo- Image source Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
Right photo- Our ''The Manhattan' beaded tulle
Our sequenced tulle in Limited Edition colour 'Storm' exclusive to Selective Fine Fabrics

The biggest trend alert from the 2013 Oscars was most definitely sparkling gowns! Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts and Jessica Chastain all shined bright in sequin and beaded numbers.

Naomi Watts wearing Armani Prive 
Image source: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images 
Right photo: Our sequenced tulle in Limited Edition colour 'Storm'

Our sequenced tulle in Limited Edition colour 'Storm' exclusive to Selective Fine Fabrics
Our range is extensive and we are sure you can find the most dazzling on trend fabric for the most discerning formal girl. So bring in your inspiration whether it's from the Oscars or the latest S/S 13/14 runway collections- we are sure to have the perfect designer fabric.

Selective Fine Fabrics