Margaret Ellen bride | MRS. Kelly Thornton

The sweetest native of New York, Kelly McGowan, stepped foot into our little slice of paradise this past August with her cousin and aunt, and we are so thankful she did! Dressing Kelly for her special day was such an honor. Kelly chose a Martina Liana gown while adding the matching veil to complete her look. Kelly married Scott Thornton at Tyler Gardens in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Their day was beautifully captured and truly shows their love for another.

How did you and Scott meet?

We have known each other since 2nd grade!

How did Scott POP the question and ask you to be his forever?

Scott took me to Allentown Rose Garden where he had a friend hiding to take pictures as he got down on one knee in front of a beautiful rose archway.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone preparing for their wedding day?

HAVE FUN WITH IT and always remember it is YOUR wedding, nobody else’s. Please yourself, not what everyone else wants :)

Why did you choose Margaret Ellen Bridal? How did you know your dress was “the one”?

Once I put on the veil, I knew that was it. I got all the feels!! :D

Vendors

Photographer: Liz Waterman Photography

Venue: Tyler Garden

Florist: Bloom de Fleur

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Open Aire Affairs

Caterer: Piccolo

Hair/Makeup Artist: Rosa Marchiano

Reception DJ: Capcee

Wedding Dress and Veil: Martina Liana

Officiant: Father Charles Magee

New Wedding Dresses Coming to 30A, Destin, Panama City Area?

You bet they are! 

We are so excited to finally share the exciting news! Margaret Ellen Bridal now offers the ever so popular wedding dress line, Essense of Australia, to northwest Florida brides. 

Do you know Martina Liana? Perfect! Essense of Australia is Martina's sister collection. Why did we include Essense of Australia? At Margaret Ellen Bridal, our main focus is the BRIDE and making her HAPPY. Essense of Australia embodies details and beauty just as Martina Liana does but with a bit of a lower price point. We want to be able to cater to all brides, and Essense is a company that we have grown to love, adore, and trust. Therefore, it is a no-brainer that Essense of Australia is the best addition to Margaret Ellen Bridal. We know our brides will think so, too! 

Twice a year, we travel to Kansas City to the home office of Essense Designs. This is where we view the latest collections from Martina Liana and Essense of Australia. We are also treated like royalty with wonderful food, treats (hello ice-cream cookies), drinks, gifts, dinner, entertainment, and informative trainings. It's also fun to see familiar faces from stores we have met in the past and meet new store owners and managers. We returned from our trip two weeks ago and it did not disappoint. The excitement of getting to pick out the hottest and newest wedding dresses is an all time high. Getting to pick out an additional 15 wedding dresses from a new line really adds to that high. But then.... when you hear and see that the lead designer and founder of Essense Designs, Martine Harris, is there the excitement goes through the roof. To meet and learn from someone who is so known, appreciated, and valued in the bridal industry is incredible. What makes Martine even better (other than her amazing accent)? Family. How much family means to her. Her own family, her Essense family and even their own families, her stores, and her brides. There were numerous times when Martine would walk up to us to just make sure that we were having a great time and to chat. Her character and how personable she is radiates and sets her company apart from so many others. It was truly a magical time, and we already look forward to our return to Kansas City this winter. 

While we cannot yet show you the newest gowns, we will show you some of our favorite Essense of Australia carryovers that are in store now and others that will be in store early September. We are in love with these gorgeous dresses! 

As we end, we get the question "How do you pick which wedding dresses you carry?" a lot. To answer simply, it is so very hard choosing. Honestly, last October, my mom, best friend, and I chose based on what we liked and what we would wear. Sidenote: My mom has really surprised me with her picks. She even likes the sexy cutouts and deep plunges. Go mom! After having being opened for seven months, our strategy has somewhat changed. It has gotten easier. Of course wedding dresses that we love and would wear still catch our eye, and yes, we still choose some of our favorites. We now know what you, our brides, want and love, and that guides us to make the best picks possible for Margaret Ellen Bridal. Buying wedding gowns each season is such a highlight and seeing what is on-trend is amazing. 

We cannot wait to show you both our Martina Liana and Essense of Australia picks that will arrive this October and November. Stay tuned and follow us on Instagram to see when they hit the store. 

Cheers! 
Maggie