Fustany Team 
Cynthia Nakhle is the founder of Something Blue bridal boutique in Beirut, Lebanon, which is truly a one-of-a-kind destination. This young lady managed to take wedding dress shopping a step ahead, by offering the brides a unique experience, with customized image consulting services, special designer collections and an all-over pretty space. We had a little chat with bridal stylist, Cynthia Nakhle, and she told us more about Something Blue, and gave us valuable tips for brides-to-be.
Something Blue bridal boutique has a very charming vibe. Tell us more about it.
We want every bride that steps into Something Blue bridal boutique to feel cozy and at home. We want to have the bride-to-be enchanted by both the space and the feeling of playing dress up for the most important day of her life. Set in a traditional Lebanese house in charming Gemayze, we make sure that every bride leaves feeling like she had the best time and found her dream dress. We aim to make every bride’s wedding dress shopping experience one to remember in her preparation journey to the big day.
What are the biggest bridal fashion trends for 2015?
- Cool tulle over-skirts: from light as air overlays to more dramatic skirts, tulle is the fabric of the coming season. It works particularly well with more classic lacey fitted dresses.
- Plunging necklines…and backs: if one neckline reigned supreme this season, it was the deep V, both front and/or back. There is a clear parting from the overused strapless dresses.
- Wedding dresses with sheer sleeves and hints of lace, beading and embroidery.
Summer is coming up; what should a bride wear for a beach wedding?
The number one priority for a beach wedding, is for the bride to feel comfortable in her dress. It tends to get hot and sticky for outdoor beach weddings. The last thing the bride wants to worry about is how she feels in her dress. I would recommend straying away from heavy and bulky fabrics or over the top beading and embroidery. The look should look and feel airy and breezy. A beach bride can render her look more interesting with hair accessories with a boho feel.
A bridal fashion faux pas…
Brides that try to overdo it on all fronts – choice of dress, makeup, hair, accessories. She ends up not looking like herself at all. I recommend brides to embrace their style and try to stay true to themselves. These are always the prettiest brides.
What is the most common mistake that brides do when dress shopping?
Too often brides shop without expert help and make choices based on pretty dresses they see in magazines or in person at bridal shops, rather than what is really flattering for their body shape, personal coloring and personality. With a course in image consulting from one of the top 5 fashion schools in the world, Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, and a bridal stylist certificate, we assist brides in getting the most flattering wedding dress for their big day and help them look their personal best.
We also advise brides not to base their decision on pictures taken during trials. The dress is never fitted to the bride’s size and the pictures are not professional. More importantly, a bride should avoid showing these pictures to her extended friends and family. She ends up getting confused with an overload of opinions. It is recommended to schedule 2nd and 3rd appointments and have a maximum of 3 of your closest people involved in the shopping process.
How can a bride know that she found “the one”?
There isn’t one formula that fits all brides. When we first started, we expected to see tears, a lot of tears. We were surprised to see that most brides don’t actually shed a tear. Some brides will either fall head over heels in love with a dress and just feel that the dress is the one. Others are more pragmatic and rational about it and end up picking the most fitting option after many try outs across stores.
A bride fell in love with a dress that’s totally not suitable for her! What do you do?
We try as much as possible to push her to try dresses that showcase her assets and camouflage her less than perfect areas. If she is still set on the dress, we try to offer alteration options and small tweaks that can make the dress more flattering, like for example adding straps to a fuller chested bride, suggesting a belt to cinch the waist of a fuller bride, etc.
A wedding day survival kit should include…
Oil blotting paper to use during the party when the face gets sweaty and oily, a mini sewing kit for unexpected wardrobe malfunctions, tissue for those emotional moments during the ceremony.
Wedding day shoes can make or break a bride’s look; do you agree?
Totally agree! I would recommend brides to go for options that are more modern than the old fashioned white satin or lace shoe. For more classic brides, she can choose nude or matte metallic options. Funkier brides can go for a pop of color. Take a cue from Carrie Bradshaw and her royal blue Manolo Blahnik Hangisi pumps.
Do you have any tips to deal with a bridezilla?
Avoid any form of confrontation. Brides are under a lot of emotional stress and need to feel comforted all the time.
Your favorite love quote is…
Everything I’ve never done, I want to do with you. (I saw it on Instagram and love how simple it is.)
