Upon A Star Win A Couture Wedding Gown Contest is Quickly Approaching A Close

Soon the 'Upon A Star' win a wedding couture gown contest will have a winner!

The deadline for entry submissions is approaching soon! If you haven't done so already make sure to submit your entries for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind wedding gown designed by Jorge Manuel specifically for this contest! 

DRESS FACTS (the gown up for grabs):
Strapless ball gown Taffeta floral detail fabric with Silk Satin hand-made encrusted bias flowers with hand-embroidered seed bead crystals and crystal center at bodice with Silk-Satin bias sash at waist. MSRP: $5720

We have been receiving entries from all over the U.S. We have heard many heartfelt stories and met some wonderful brides-to-be. Hurry because all entries are due on or before MARCH 10, 2011.

What to do to enter:

1. Submit a Photograph of the bride and/or bride and groom
2. Essay defining what love means to you and why this dress would make your wedding all that sweeter!
3. Submit entry to:

contest@jorgemanuelweddings.com

Contest is open to ANYONE in the U.S. ANYONE can participate! No obligations to purchase contest entry is free! For more contest information and details visit designer's website at www.jorgemanuelweddings.com and hit the 'UPON A STAR' tab to get you there. Don't miss out on this opportunity!

A Special Bride wears a special Jorge Manuel dress

The Cielo dress from the JORGE MANUEL's Iris Collection. Bride: Daniela Rebull 

Jorge Manuel is so proud to share with you the yet to be release dress from the IRIS COLLECTION 2012....the bride wore the beautiful the CIELO from this upcoming collection. She truly went from being a bride to the designer's good friend. We wish Daniela and Luis years of happiness. This is a little preview of their incredible wedding! 


Take a look at their wedding preview video from Utopia Video on the top link.

Inside The Designer's Studio

A PLACE FIT FOR CREATIVITY

It is not everyday that a designer gives you a glimpse into the world behind the dresses. The process is tedious, sometimes difficult, but mostly rewarding. Jorge Manuel invited photographer Brian Adams inside his Miami studio so that he could capture a normal day in the life of the designer. It is here where the magic for his gowns happen. Jorge Manuel believes that a beautiful dress has wonderful people behind it. "It is quite amazing coming in to work every day. I love the talented women I work with and the environment I work in. I designed my work place to reflect who I am, what my product stands for and how I expect the quality of my gowns to be. Honestly, the thought of creating makes me look forward to coming in to work everyday. After a while, it feels like being in a place where you and your friends get to hang out all day doing what you love! The rewarding part is knowing that gowns made here will dress a future bride and make her feel beautiful, timeless and chic!" Making a wedding dress takes a lot of work. Although it may appear to be simple, the work that goes into making a wedding gown is far more than meets the eye. It entails much more than just a gown in a mannequin in a store front window.

THE PROCESS OF MAKING A WEDDING GOWN

The process begins with an idea. A lot of research goes on behind the scenes when preparing for a collection. Most collections are actually being planned about a year prior to its release date. It can be challenging for the designer as Jorge Manuel must think ahead in fashion. A signature trait of the designer is that he themes all his collection and draws inspiration from these themes. For example, the current collection, the Nebula collection 2011, themes around the constellations and the stars. The designer researched about them and later drew inspiration to sketch his designs.

Once the designer feels convinced with the theme he then goes into the drawing board and sketches anywhere between 30-40 gowns and sometimes even as much as 70 gowns. These are then narrowed down, mix-and-matched, re-sketched until Jorge Manuel chooses the 15 gowns that will help shape his collection. Patterns are drawn and cut into muslins, a mock of the dress, where they are sewn and later approved for production. 

"The entire process is quite exhilarating as you just never know how the gowns will turn out. We are constantly making changes as we go along, but the end result is always a beautiful one!"

The process can be very specific and organization is key when bringing a collection to life. Fabrics are carefully selected, as well as colors, to ensure the vision of the designer comes to fruition. Textures, metallics, and crystals are all considered when choosing to accessorize and compliment the designs. nevertheless, it is important to know the fabrics and how they behave in order to bring the designer's vision into tangible form.

Structure is perhaps one of the most challenging aspect of the process. Jorge Manuel believes that a gown without structure is an incomplete gown. "You can have the most beautiful design but if the gown does not hold up on a form then the gown is simply just a beautiful design and nothing more! It just is not functional." Which is why the young designer takes it upon himself to visualize structure off a sketch before it even gets to the first part of the dress making process.

Each collection from start to finish can take anywhere between 2-3 months. 

THE REWARD

A Bride's wedding dress is forever engraved in her wedding pictures. Jorge Manuel truly believes there is a magical importance to the gown. Many years from now, the bride, will someday show her children and grandchildren her beautiful wedding pictures. They will be able to look back and date her dress to current time. They will be able to look at the gown and fall in love with it just as the bride did when she wore it down the aisle. The dress is a memory that is forever engraved and cherished for a long time to come. To the designer, this fact, is perhaps one of the biggest rewards in the beautiful industry of bridal he is part of.

The "Star" gown wows in South Carolina... ANY bride ANYWHERE can win!

Upon A Star win a couture wedding gown contest going on now!

ANY bride ANYWHERE can win!

What a night! The "Star" gown from the 'Upon A Star' win a couture wedding contest made its debut in South Carolina at Maddison Row on Thursday, February 10, 2010 among friends, brides-to-be, wedding coordinators, wedding bloggers, store owners and the designer, Jorge Manuel himself!

The gorgeous A-line taffeta ball gown dress with beautiful bias piping floral details on the bodice left all who laid eyes on her wishing 'upon a star.'

Entries began to arrive at Jorge Manuel via e-mail 2 days before the event at Maddison Row. And now that the contest has officially begun the search for this gowns' owner has started!

If you haven't submitted your entry yet, make sure to do so by sending an E-mail to:

contest@jorgemanuelweddings.com

along with a picture and a 300-600 word essay defining what love has meant to you, describing why this gown goes perfect with your personality and why it will shape your wedding theme and wedding decor. Or if you are in the Charleston, South Carolina area you can pick-up an entry form at Maddison Row and submit your entries there personally. Make sure you submit your entry before March 10, 2011.

Here's where it gets exciting! On March 15. 2011 five semi-finalists will be posted along with their pictures and winning essays on the designer's website where you, the public, will be able to vote for your favorites. The winner will be announced on March 31, 2011 when all the votes are tabulated and one very lucky bride will be able to sport the gorgeous dress down the aisle in a one-of-a-kind couture wedding gown!

If you are a bride-to-be or know a bride who would love to win a couture wedding gown then submit your entry soon and let a wish "upon a star," decide if its going to be the gown for you!

For official rules and details visit the designer website www.jorgemanuelweddings.com for more information.

Photography by: Jennifer Bearden

Time To Get Excited! 'Upon A Star' Contest Has Officially Begun!

After careful planning, sketching, fabric selection, color, style and contest details, Jorge Manuel and Maddison Row proudly unveils the dress that will make one very lucky bride......just that....one very lucky bride! The 'Upon A Star' win a couture wedding gown contest kicks off today at Maddison Row with a champagne reception featuring store owner and designer Jorge Manuel. 

Brides get your bouquets ready, because, 'Upon A Star' win a couture wedding contest has officially begun! 

Entries will only be accepted for the next 30 days, so hurry and submit your opportunity ticket soon! Then 5 semi-finalist will be posted on the designer's website on March 15, 2011. The gorgeous "Star" gown will claim an owner on March 31, 2011 when one lucky bride is announced the winner on the designer's website! 

Visit the designer's page http://www.jorgemanuelweddings.com/ for official contest rules and details or visit Maddison Row to pick-up your entry form. Entry forms can be submitted via email to contest@jorgemanuelweddings.com or turned-in in person at Maddison Row. Entry information and materials rules and details are posted on the designer's website.

In the meantime, if you are in the Charleston area and want to see the designer, his newest collection, The Nebula Collection 2011 or see the gorgeous contest dress, the "Star," live and in person, then stop by Maddison Row today, February 10, 2011 between 5 and 7 p.m. for a champagne reception help kick off with us the win a couture wedding gown contest!

It's almost here...will you be a part of it?

We are 2 days away from the 'Upon A Star' dress reveal! Mark your calendars and come down to Maddison Row if you are in the South Carolina area to see the Gorgeous "STAR" gown take center stage! Yes, the official name of the gown up for grabs has been properly named "Star" and you can be the lucky bride to win the gown and look like "one" the day of your wedding! In case you haven't heard, designer Jorge Manuel and Maddison Row bridal salon paired up to make one very lucky bride the "star" of her wedding in a one-of-a-kind couture wedding gown. 

Don't miss out on designer Jorge Manuel's Nebula Collection 2011 at the trunk show following Friday and Saturday.

Come meet the designer and the Gown that will make one very lucky girl......happy!

Champagne Reception
Thursday February 10, 2011 (Trunk Show for the Nebula Collection 2011 on February 11-12)
at
Maddison Row
171 Spring Street
Charleston, SC

5-7pm
'Upon A Star' win a wedding couture contest Dress Big Reveal at 6:30 p.m. - Don't miss it!

For more information visit:
jorgemanuelweddings.com or to make an appointment please contact
Maddison Row (843-720-7979).

Featured Bride: Marnie Moran and the Equuleus gown

Married last July in downtown, Miami, Marnie Moran Haney found her dream dress in the Equuleus gown from the designer Jorge Manuel's Nebula Collection 2011. You can access the gown by clicking the Equuleus link of the left bar of this blog page or visiting the designer's website (www.jorgemanuelweddings.com/nebula/equuleus.php) The wedding was breathtaking and the bride incredibly beautiful! Marnie is a close friend to the designer, and he took it upon himself, to find the perfect gown to fit her personality, body type and vision.

"She is chic and stylish, but likes to keep things somewhat traditional. I knew from the moment I sketched the gown that it would be a perfect for match!"

And so it was! Our compliments to the happy bride and lucky husband!

Marnie Moran-Haney
Married on July 2010
Equuleus Gown from Jorge Manuel Nebula Collection 2011
http://www.jorgemanuelweddings.com/nebula/equuleus.php
Location: Epic Hotel, Miami, Florida
Photographer: 13:13
Check out more of this pictures on their blog  (http://www.1313blog.com/2010/08/23/epic-hotel-miami-wedding-photographer-2/)