The POETE COLLECTION 2013 Makes its Debut on Bridal Gown Designer Jorge Manuel's Website

The  Poete Collection 2013 by designer Jorge Manuel is now online. A beautiful 15 piece collection of dresses inspired from a child's day dream. visit www.jorgemanuelweddings.com to view full collection. 

Featured Bride: Haronyd Melo in Jorge Manuel's 'The Roz' Gown

Designer Jorge Manuel met Haronyd Melo at his Miami retailer J DEL OLMO BRIDAL GALLERY on a busy afternoon at the store. It was a pleasant surprise for both as Jorge Manuel was passing by when he noticed Haronyd wearing his gown in front of the fitting room mirror. He was curious to see who was this beautiful bride who stood there radiating in the dress. It didn't take long before Haronyd  made THE ROZ from the designer's IRIS COLLECTION 2012 her bridal gown of choice. 

"It was an honor to meet Harnoyd. It is rare that I have the chance to meet the bride who will be wearing my dress. Usually all I have to go by is a store PO number. As pleasant as it is for brides to meet the creator of the dress, I find it more fulfilling to meet the brides that choose to wear one of my gowns on their big day," recalls Jorge Manuel.

 

The wedding was held in Miami, Florida and photographed by JHP Photography. We wish you many years of marriage bliss and may you always look back on your big day with fond memories and joy. Congratulations!  

"Thanks again for this beautiful gown... It was a dream come true!" - Haronyd Melo

 

Featured Bride: Amanda Byrd in Jorge Manuel's 'The Brielle' Gown

 

Amanda Byrd about to make the walk down the aisle in a Jorge Manuel dress - The BRIELLE exclusively available at the WHITE DRESS, Corona Del Mar, California retailer.  

"The dress was absolutely STUNNING and I received so many compliments!!

Thank you for such beautiful craftsmanship - it was the dress of my dreams and beyond," recalls Amanda 

All of us here at Jorge Manuel wish Amanda a blissful marriage. May the years ahead be filled with love and joy. You made a gorgeous timeless bride! Congratulations!

Designer Jorge Manuel prepares to release his Seventh Collection...The Poete Collection 2013

Featured Bride: Monique Poulyo in Jorge Manuel's 'The Eridanus' Gown

 Monique's sense of fashion led her down the aisle in a unique wedding dress that captured her personality and complimented her beauty and age. She knew she wanted that "something different' in a dress that she had a difficult time finding. The intricate bias details on the gown truly speaks for itself; hanging on the rack among all those dress, the Eridanus called her attention immediately. Once she tried on the gorgeous ERIDANUS gown from the designer's NEBULA COLLECTION at J DEL OLMO BRIDAL GALLERY in Miami, she knew it would be the one. The day of her wedding Monique wrote to us and told us how she "was feeling so proud and beautiful." We agree and couldn't be prouder of Monique. Her sense of fashion and beauty showcases that being chic is not a thing of age... its a thing of style. Many congratulations to you and may your blissful years of marriage be filled with joy and love! 

Jorge Manuel features his collection at Couture Fashion Show in New York...The Poete Collection 2013

The POETE COLLECTION 2013, scheduled to debut at the designer's website this November 2012, was claimed by critics at this year's bridal market in New York City to be Jorge Manuel's most romantic bridal collection yet. Reverie, named after the definition in its French language, means "Day Dream" and it will become the platform for Jorge Manuel's collection in 2013. The collection takes you through the journey of a child pretending to be worldly in an imaginative world made up of dreams. Each dress name in the collection has been selected from what every little girl aspires to become in life. She will imagine becoming a "Princesse" or a "poet" in the not so far future. The collection opens with the little girl wanderer and closes with a transformed woman on her big day. 

Featured Bride: Ali Larsen in Jorge Manuel's 'The Pei' Gown

 

Travis J Photography

Featured Bride: Jessica Lauren Arsenian in Jorge Manuel's 'The Emerald' Gown

Jessica met Jorge Manuel at one of his trunk shows at The White Dress in Corona Del Mar, California. The unforgettable dress journey began with a bride who looked for 'something different' in her wedding dress and found it in a designer that later became a good friend. Accompanied by an  artist sister and supportive mom, Jessica was able to narrow her dress with their help to the Emerald gown featured in the designer's Nebula Collection 2011. "The moment she stepped out of the fitting room and I was called to see her in the dress and truthfully she radiated in it. The entire store could not get their eyes off of her as she "yes'd" the dress" recalls Jorge Manuel. But don't take his word for it let the images of Jessica taken by photographer Benj Haisch on her wedding day speak for itself. It looks as if she's headed to an editorial rather than to her wedding. Congrats Jessica may your married life be filled with many joyful memories.   

Bridal Market in New York City....What does this mean?

Twice a year designers from all over the world get together for a three-day event in New York City. In this event boutique owners have the opportunity to shop for their store's next season wedding gowns. So it is tradition this time of the year for bridal designer's to get a move on it. There are hundreds of invitations to mail, phone calls to make, but most importantly, a bridal collection that is both beautiful and innovative.

The bridal industry has seen some drastic changes in the last years. It has become more competitive and a lot more inviting of new designers.  Stores have flourish out of the blue and closed soon after. The cycle of rebirth in this industry has become inevitable. In the midst, Designer's are choosing to make statements with their work and leave their imprint in the bridal world.

We have seen a shift in bridal fashion in the last five years. Whoever thought a decade ago that wearing black, red, green, pastels, metallic, and even short dresses would become all the trend in bridal? It has been a privilege to have witnessed the positive change.

Bridal Market is exciting for many because designers will be shaping the future of bridal with the presentations of their gowns at fashion shows. Some shows are coveted and even a waiting list to attend has also become the crave. Bridal stores and boutique owners and buyers plan ahead with the fashion calendar and make it a point to visit as many designer's as they carry as possible. Sometimes, if time permits, they look around for new designers that will give their store an edge to other stores in their area. All in all, the three-day extravaganza can be exhausting.

For this year's bridal market, designer Jorge Manuel focused on materials and textures:

"I will be honest with you. I have never loved lace. I think its pretty, but it feels so vintage, heavy and old. I have always been a believer about wearing the sign of the times. But, I have had a change of heart. For my next collection, I decide to give lace a whirl and make it my own.

I have been collecting information from various distributors for quite some time now. I finally chose laces that were "different" per say, in that the design, pattern, color and texture added dimension to the design. Some laces I found in warehouses that have had them for over 20 years and others from design houses with modern cutting edge design. It is quite easy to make a lace dress that looks flat and boring. If one thing I have learned is that brides want that "something different," but after seeing the designs out there for lace I decided to give them that something different by actually doing something different. 

In fact, most lace dresses all look the same regardless of what designer they are from when you seen them hanging together in a rack at a store. I understand the timeless quality of lace, but I also understand that the bride of today has more of a say in what she decides to wear. She is bigger in personality and I need to provide dresses that will represent who she is best in the dress. I laugh because when I had all the laces I had chosen from this collection on top of my cutting table, all I could think about was, what should I decide to do? dresses or curtains?  I chose the former." 

The UPON A STAR Celebration Party at Hitched Closes As This Year's Winner Is Finally Announced

And This Year's Upon A Star Winner is...

At the UPON A STAR celebration party held on May 18, 2012 at Hitched in Washington D.C., owners Carin Levine and Julia Kepniss, along with designer Jorge Manuel and last year's UPON A STAR 2011 winner, Jeanine Lalonde, announced the much awaited news 5 months coming. The UPON A STAR contest began in February with several entries from hopeful brides looking to win the one-of-a-kind gown designed exclusively for the contest. After months of deliberations, 6 judges, 6 finalists and over 3000 public votes, the contest finally has a winner!

"I am so proud about this contest. I truly wish that each year I can at least make one wish UPON A STAR come true. It is my way of giving back to an industry that has given me so much in return. I felt like a proud father standing there with all the finalists. I am so grateful for the wonderful staff at Hitched for sponsoring a great event and joining in on the genuine desire of making dreams come true. Watching Jeanine Lalonde, last year's UPON A STAR winner, announce this year's winner was truly a treat! Hearing Jeanine's story on how she won her dress last year moved me. I just feel so blessed tonight. I am surrounded by so many friends and wonderful people," recalls designer Jorge Manuel of the UPON A STAR CELEBRATION party.

The excitement in the room could be heard from the street when the winner, FARISA DASTVAR, was announced at tonight's event. The finalists got to meet each other and browse through the Jorge Manuel gowns for this weekend's trunk show at HITCHED.

FARISA DASTVAR 

Congratulations on your win! May your journey down the aisle with the UPON A STAR gown be a joyous one!

Jorge Manuel and Hitched celebrate this year's UPON A STAR win a couture wedding gown contest!

The UPON A STAR win a couture wedding gown contest started with a promise from the designer to make at least one dream for a special bride come true every year. We have been blogging about the contest for months. Entries after entries for the contest made its way through the magic of the internet and into our computers. Deliberations between judges, selecting finalists and an open public vote narrowed it down to this: 

ONE gorgeous one-of-kind Jorge Manuel designed wedding dress, ONE winner and ONE big party to celebrate!

The Event began in October of 2011 with Jorge Manuel and his team partnering with one of his retailer sponsors. Each year Jorge Manuel brings the contest to a new area of the country with the goal of reaching hopeful brides all over the U.S. This year HITCHED signed on as the sponsor for the UPON A STAR Win A Couture Wedding Gown Contest 2012. For 6 months both Jorge Manuel and this year's sponsor HITCHED took the task of making this year's contest one to remember!

JOURNEY THROUGH THE CONTEST

THE DRESS
Several meetings between the designer and ladies at Hitched followed before a final sketch was decided on and selected. Fabrics, color, style, weight and comfort were all considered during the process. It truly is remarkable the amount of detail that goes into make such a unique and special dress. The UPON A STAR gown is a gorgeous off-white 100%  Silk Taffeta and Silk Satin mermaid silhouette with French beaded lace. It took countless hours, pattern makers and a team of very talented seamstresses to make. The beading was mostly encrusted and done by hand. Truly a special gown for one very special bride.The Winner will be able to customize her veil to match how she envisions she'll look. The experience from getting a muslin to custom making the gown just for her will truly be one she will never forget!

THE CONTEST

The Contest consisted of an Essay that answered three questions. The entries were to explain what the meaning of love for the bride is; As well as, a brief overview of their theme and colors for their big day. Most importantly, why the contest gown "Eternal Flame" was the perfect dress for them.

All three had to be answered in order to count as a qualifying entry. Entries from all parts of the U.S. made its way into the contest mailbox. Beautiful entries filled with love stories made it difficult for the six judges to pick just six favorites. But soon enough, the FINALIST were selected and posted on the designer's website. All six finalists made an amazing job of campaigning and rallying up votes.  When the polls closed the UPON A STAR contest finally had found its winner! The votes combined with the judges points helped determined the lucky bride who's dream of wearing a one-of-a-kind dress will soon come true.
  

CELEBRATING THE WINNER

Jorge Manuel and Hitched will award the coveted dress to one of the six finalists at the UPON A STAR CELEBRATION party on Friday, May 18, 2012. The Journey of finding the perfect bride for a unique dress has made new friendships and memories that will be treasured for a long time to come. After months of searching we have finally reached the end of this journey.

Please join on us at the UPON A STAR CELEBRATION party that will take place at HITCHED in Washington D.C. on May 18, 2012 from 6-8 p.m. where you will be able to meet the lucky bride who won this year announced by last year's UPON A STAR 2011 winner, JEANNINE LALONDE, who will tie the knot in her Jorge Manuel one-of-a-kind gown the following week of the event. You will also have the chance to meet some of the finalists you voted for, as well as, the wonderful staff at HITCHED including store owners, Carin Levine and Julia Kepniss who helped make all this possible.

Jorge Manuel will also be attending the UPON A STAR CELEBRATION bash and looks forward to congratulating the winner personally. " It is a chance to see a dream come true before your very eyes. And I truly wouldn't miss that. It makes me proud of what I do in the bridal industry, and more proud of the wonderful people I work with that make this happen. Although it is a lot of hard work I could not be any happier with its outcome. May the winner embark on this journey and enjoy every minute of it! Congratulations to everyone who put their little part in making someone's dream a reality!" replies the designer.

So who will this year's UPON A STAR contest winner be? Join us on MAY 18, 2012 at HITCHED in Washington D.C. from 6-8 p.m. or visit jorgemanuelweddings.com on May 19, 2012 for the winner's profile and pictures!

 

After Months and Months Of Planning It Comes To An End Tonight!

Jorge Manuel and his team start preparing for the annual UPON A STAR contest every October. It takes a lot of hard work to prepare for the contest. There is a certain emotional connection to it since so much energy and time is put into it. The process of finding the most deserving contestant consists of reading through hundreds of entries and assigning a point system to each contestant. A board of judges deliberate sometimes on end in narrowing them down to just six. This year's six contestants are already winners -- winners of the heart! Their stories are motivating and inspiring. A true testament that if you find true love anything is possible! The UPON A STAR contest is all about making dreams come true.

Designer Jorge Manuel tells us what really inspired him to start the contest.

"Growing up in a humble home I saw it first hand when my own sister married. She was in love with a dress my parents simply couldn't afford and she settled for the next best thing. I wanted to make a contest where I can give that bride the one dress she truly loves and making it accessible to her regardless of her wedding budget," explains the designer.

The six finalists have all gather over 2000 votes in the past 2 weeks. Sadly, our contest must claim just one winner and tonight the tallies closes at 12 midnight. Visit www.jorgemanuelweddings.com if you have not already and meet the final six in the running for the UPON A STAR wedding gown. Read their motivational and inspiring stories and vote for your favorite! But, like in the fairy tales you will only have until midnight to make it count!

To all the finalists that entered we wish you good luck and may the best applicant win!

Winner will be announced at the CELEBRATION UPON A STAR party at HITCHED on  May 18, 2012. If you are in the area and would like to attend please RSVP at contest@jorgemanuelweddings.com or write to us there for more information about the event.