Fan Appreciation Wedding Gown Giveaway - Winner

On March 19th, 2012 we announced the winner of our Fan Appreciation Wedding Gown Giveaway! The lucky winner was Stephanie D. from Illinois. Stephanie shared the following with us:

Matthew and I met on accident, someone we knew introduced us and we hit it off. I came into the situation making a new friend, he came in wondering if I was the one. He tells me to this day that he would have proposed to me on our second date if he knew it wouldn’t scare me away. Over the last 19 months he has become my best friend and I couldn’t imagine life without him. 

Matthew proposed to me on October 17, 2011 in the most romantic surprise I could have imagined. He hung a sign from the ceiling that he made saying all of the reasons he loved me, just below it there were a dozen red roses, I turned to him and he held open a necklace box with a necklace I had saw a few days earlier and wanted to buy, he placed the necklace on my neck and told me to look in the mirror to see if I liked how it looked, hanging there was my engagement ring. I started crying and screaming yes, yes, yes, not even giving him a second to actually propose. 

I am a full time student as well as having 3 part time jobs. I love to volunteer even though I am very busy, I am an aid for an after school program, I am a tutor for adult literacy, a “wish granter” for Make-A-Wish Foundation, a peer mentor, as well as other volunteer work I do. During any free time I have left, I love to paint ceramics and have been working on planning Matthew and my wedding. 

Matthew is in the Army National Guard and also works full time at his civilian job. He loves to read and has started painting ceramics with me. When he has time, he also volunteers with me. 

This fall we are moving because I will be transferring schools and starting my B.S. degree program in psychology. I chose Psychology because I want to help people, I wanted to be someone that people feel comfortable talking to as well as someone who can offer advice. 

Why we need this: We both work hard to serve others and to ensure other people are growing, safe, and happy. I want to be the beautiful bride Matthew deserves on our wedding day. Right now, with the cost of my schooling, normal household bills, recent medical bills, and soon to be moving cost we will never be able to afford the dress of my dreams.

So please Bonny Bridal help my January 26, 2013 wedding dreams become a reality.  

We had hundreds of entries on our Facebook Fan page and we want to thank everyone who  entered and shared their stories with us! We read all of your touching stories, your funny stories and we even got a few chuckles from GROOMS who entered to win the wedding gown of their choice to surprise their wives-to-be! We appreciate all of our fans...and we are so grateful to all of you for sharing your lives and loves with us! 


Stay tuned! Our stunning Fall 2012 Collection will be coming to a store near you soon...and we will have another wedding gown giveaway to celebrate the new collection until then...CONGRATS to Stephanie! We can't wait to see what gown she chooses for her January 26th wedding to Matthew!

Friday Funday - It's a Giveaway too!

So, we want to have a little Friday Funday...and it's a great way for you to get to know a little bit more about Bonny Bridal! Simply respond to this post with your answers. All of the answers have been posted before on our Facebook Fan Page, our website or right here on the Bonny Bridal Blog! Everyone who answers the questions correctly will go into a random drawing where one lucky winner will be randomly chosen. The Friday Funday Giveaway will close at 7pm PST!!


Here are the questions:
1. If your local Bonny retail salon doesn't have the dress you want in their store - how can you see the dress, try it on and fall in love with it - in person??
2. How far in advance should you order your Bonny Bridal gown?
3. If you see a Bonny Bridal gown on a website that offers you a super, duper unbelievably low price that seems to good to be true...should you order it?
4. Do we sell other dresses...besides wedding gowns? Could your mom and maids find dresses made from Bonny Bridal? How about your little sister who is going to Prom?
5. Name our FOUR bridal collections


What will you win? Well, we are so thrilled to share with you Heartfelt by Lisa Leonard. The lucky winner will get a beautiful necklace from the Heartfelt Collection by Lisa Leonard, that we pick for her! 

Heartfelt is a collection designed by Lisa Leonard exclusively for retail stores. We carry the Heartfelt collection in our flagship retail store. 

We have been touched by Lisa's story - and how her company came to be and we love to support others - especially women who inspire us (in her own words): 

"i have been making jewelry since high school but i decided to get serious after my first son, david, was born. i wanted to start a small business that would enable me to quit my job and stay home with my boys. at the time, i had never taken any formal classes or received special training in jewelry making. i just went for it! i am kind of the "jump in and learn as you go" type. creating jewelry not only allowed me to work from home, but has connected me with so many amazing women along the way.

my desire is to create simple, lovely pieces that can be worn with jeans or your little black dress. i want each piece to be meaningful. our custom jewelry is hand-stamped with your kids' names or a special phrase or verse. i love to touch my necklace throughout the day and reflect on my husband and my sweet boys.

each piece we create is a work of art—hand cut;hammered, polished, drilled and assembled with care. i am inspired by other artists—painters, scrapbookers, clothing designers and poets. i also love to soak up nature-the sky, the sea, the green hills. i let all these ideas and images swirl around in my mind and then i create. when an idea hits me i sketch it out and play until the perfect design comes together.

lisa leonard designs exists because moms, grandmas and friends have shared our designs with each other while waiting in line at the grocery store or sipping coffee with a friend. most of our customers find us through word of mouth. we know that you'll find the perfect piece."

It's a party on our page! Fan Appreciation Wedding Gown Giveaway

It's party time! We want to thank all of our fans for "liking" us...we've hit a major milestone - 10,000 fans on our Facebook Fan Page and to celebrate we are having a giveaway! 

The giveaway is SIMPLE!

1. Click here to go to the CONTEST PAGE

2. Enter the information requested on the form

3. On the TITLE please submit your Wedding Date

4. The ESSAY portion can be used for you to share info about your big day

That's it. Easy. There is some official business we have to attend to though: Only residents of the US and Canada can be entered to win. You also must be 18 years of age, or older. Your wedding date must be AFTER September 2012. To read the complete rules you can click here. To find out how we use (and protect) your information click here to read our Privacy Policy. 

This giveaway will run until March 18, 2012

The winner will be selected March 19, 2012 - the winner will have 60 days to order her wedding gown from any of our 4 bridal collections.

GOOD LUCK....and thank you for being our FAN! 

You might "like" us but, we love you all! 

You make our job fun, interesting and rewarding!

Grand Opening Gala - Recap, Thank You and Winners!

We would like to thank everyone who came out to the Grand Opening Gala for our Flagship retail bridal salon on Saturday, February 18, 2012! We were thrilled to show off our new store to our friends, family and brides in Orange County! Thank you all for coming out and celebrating with us. We would also like to thank all the amazing vendors who helped make the day extra special for our guests. The girls and I were able to draw the names for the raffle prizes that were up for grabs on Sunday evening. We would like to congratulate the following:

Grand Prize: Bonny Bridal Gown - Corina S.
Antique Brooch Bouquet from Blue Petyl: Serena H.
"Lucy" hair piece from Tessa Kim: Jenny B.
"Neva" hair piece from Tessa Kim: Estrella P. 
Engagement photo session from Ashley Bee Photography: Kelly M.
$100 Gift Certificate from My Cake Plate: Mabel T.
$100 Gift Certificate from My Cake Plate: Angelica S.
"Mrs" Wire Wedding Hanger from Lila Frances: Jodi B.
Little Birdie Necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs: Erin L.
Bold Love Necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs: Lauren H. 
Lots of Love Necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs: Gina C.
$1000 Gift Certificate to Lucero Photography with purchase of photography/videography package: Fran W.
$50 Gift Certificate from Buca di Beppo: Nikole M.
Full Package of Wedding Goodies: Dollie J.
Includes:
Engagement Session from Jeannie Dahlhausen Photography
Full face engagement makeup for photo and wedding trial makeup from Makeup by Yvette
Free Wedding Website from Mangrolia
Full Day of Wedding Coordination and Complete Wedding Planning package from Kays Inspired Events & Stylish Event Design

Congratulations to all the winners!

We also need to thank all the vendors who were here to support us and make sure that the guests had a great time! These vendors made the Gala so much fun and pictures will be available soon!

• Ashley Bee is a Southern California wedding photographer (she does family and senior portraits too!). Ashley has worked with us on several projects. We always feel blessed when she agrees to work with us because she has a talented eye and captures all the amazing memories for us! Ashley took a ton of photos and documented the day and I can not wait to see all the great photos she captured! Ashley Bee Photography - http://ashleybee.net
• We had the most amazing servers strolling through the store with yummy food from Anders Catering. My favorite item was the pulled pork sliders (yum!) but, I know everyone else was loving the white truffle mac 'n cheese cups, the coconut fried shrimp, crab cakes, merlot beef tips over gorgonzola mashed potatoes and so much more! The food was amazing and we would just like to say a HUGE thank you to Larry and the sweet staff from Anders Catering! http://www.anderscatering.com
• We received the most amazing flowers from Fullerton florist Flower Allie. Allison and her team are the preferred florist for Bonny Bridal - http://www.flowerallie.com/
• The husband and wife team from All Star Photo Booth were the HIT of the event with everyone! They are so FUN and every time I looked over someone was waiting for their turn in the photo booth! Photo booths are a must have at your wedding (or any event!) and if you are local to Southern California All Star Photo Booth is a must-book vendor! http://www.allstarphotobooth.com
• Hiring a DJ for your event can be pretty tricky. I know from experience! When I booked the DJ for my own wedding I was really happy when we interviewed him but, I was so disappointed the day of my wedding. I know how important it is to find a GREAT DJ. Chris, the owner and operator of Silver Disc Entertainment is so much fun! I am a HUGE fan and I know you will be too! http://www.silverdiscentertainment.com
• Leanne from Sugar Shack Baking Co. created an amazing (and delicious) 3-tier wedding cake for our event. The girls and I had fun cutting the first slice together. Each tier was a different flavor and Leanne, who noticed I always have a Starbucks coffee with me, made the bottom tier Chocolate cake with an Espresso mousse filling! That is attention to detail! Thank you so much Leanne - http://www.sugarshackbakingco.com. A new friend to us here at Bonny Bridal is My Cake Plate. They are friends with Leanne and they provided the gorgeous stone cake stand that Leanne's cake was displayed on. As with many special wedding items, this concept came about when the owners daughter was getting married and they wanted a special memento of their day - something that could be used again in their new home as Mr and Mrs. The stone cake stands are now available for all brides to use on their big day.
• Judy, the owner of Classic Candy Buffet, has a knack for putting together amazing candy displays! She has this GORGEOUS bling table that the multiple candy jars sit on. The display fit right in with our store! I know everyone enjoyed their little treat bag, based on the line of people I always saw talking with her, that just proves that Candy Buffets are still a hit with guests - http://www.classiccandybuffet.com
• I met Kay last year when she created some delicious push cakes and cake pops for my daughter's birthday party. I asked Kay if she would make up some of her delicious cake pops for our guests and she delivered! The lovely cake pops were chocolate cake, dipped in white chocolate and decorated with little white balls and, of course, a little red heart that ties in with our Bonny Bridal logo! We had this awesome cake pop stand made from Etsy seller Mcreations4u to display the cake pops. Kays Kupcakes makes fresh, delicious cupcakes as well as cake pops and she is also one of the hosts of Cupcake Camp OC - a grassroots organization that brings together cupcake lovers and cupcake bakers to raise money for their charity, Children of the Night. http://kayskupcakescakery.weebly.com

We would also like to thank: Blue Petyl, Tessa Kim, Lila Frances, Lisa Leonard Designs, Sally at Buca di Beppo in Brea, Jeannie Dahlhausen Photography, Mangrolia, Kays Inspired Events, Stylish Event Design Designer Specialty Linens and Create-A-Party rentals!

Win a free Bonny Bridal Gown this weekend in Brea, CA

Calling all Southern California brides!! We invite you to come meet us and view some of our dresses at the Brea Bridal Show - this weekend! Our main distribution and customer service call center has been located in the city of Brea for over 20 years. For 14 years, we have been donating a wedding gown as the Grand Prize giveaway at the Brea Bridal Show. This year, we will have a booth at the show and have on hand a few of our beautiful gowns for you to see in person! Brides will have the opportunity to win a gown of their choice from Bonny Bridal at the event! We look forward to meeting you!

Winner for the autographed copy of The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow

Thank you girls for sharing your magic moment with us! It's time to announce the winner of the autographed copy of The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow....

KATIE J.

Katie said...

"I ordered my Bonny dress from Becker's :-) While I actually found it elsewhere, I did get to see myself in the "Magic Room" with my actual dress (#1004) on. This is when it really hit me that I was a bride, as I got to pick out my veil and see the whole package together."

Katie, please send us an email at info (at) bonny.com and we will forward it to the publisher so they can get your autographed copy of the book out! We hope you will enjoy reading the book and please come back and leave a review when you're finished with it!

Congratulations!!!

The Magic Room - a Novel by Jeffrey Zaslow - Win a signed copy!

We have a special treat for all of our friends and fans! We were contacted by Jeffrey Zaslow, author of a new book titled "The Magic Room". He traveled to Fowler, MI and our retail partner, Becker's Bridal set the stage for this book. Within the pages of this book you will read about love, life and what goes on behind the scenes - how each and every bride who walks into a bridal salon has a story. More importantly, you will read stories just like yours...about women who are taking the same steps you are...what a journey it is on the road down the aisle! 


As a special gift, we are giving away a signed copy of the The Magic Room! Just leave a comment about your visit to the magic room - because every store has one. The room where you look into the mirror the first time and you feel it...you see it...you have finally gotten to that moment...you are a bride!



About Becker's Bridal: Becker's is located in Fowler, Michigan. It is a town with more wedding dresses (2,500) than residents (1,100).The store has remained in the same family since it was founded in 1934. Becker's Bridal is run by a daughter, her mother, her grandmother, and her great–grandmother. Becker's has carried Bonny Bridal gowns for many years and we are so thrilled to share with our friends and fans their very special story.

WIN A SIGNED COPY OF THE BOOK!

HOW TO ENTER

• Leave a message on this post about the 1st time you saw yourself as a bride

This giveaway will end on: January 21st, 2012 at 6pm PST and the winner will be posted and contacted shortly there after! If we do not hear from the winner within 3 days, another winner will be chosen. PLEASE, make sure you leave me a way to contact you!!

What you win: A signed copy of The Magic Room, a novel by Jeffrey Zaslow

Value of giveaway: $27.00

Shipping Charges: Included

This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS only!

Good luck to everyone and thank you for sharing your stories with us!

Last Chance: Enter to win the Vintage Hollywood Glam Giveaway

We are just a few hours away from closing the entry into the Vintage Hollywood Glam Wedding giveaway! Luckily, we are on pacific standard time so you get some extra time to enter! This giveaway has been a labor of love from the beginning! Southern California wedding photographer, Ashley Bee, captured all the glamorous photos from the day. She has such a gift and we are thankful she was able to capture the essence of what this shoot was about - GLAM!

Michelle, from the Jones Victorian Estate in Orange, CA offered the use of the perfect location...right down to having the awesome car we needed! How many venues offer brides a drive off in the 1950's Bentley?! So fun. 

We were able to get a couple of vintage umbrellas from Bella Umbrella - they rent 100's of vintage umbrellas. The umbrella's are affordable to rent! If you win the giveaway for sure you should check out using some of their gorgeous umbrellas on your big day!



All the treats were designed and created by Miso Bakes - didn't she do an amazing job? Not only were the treats beautiful...they tasted yummy too! 

It was our pleasure to introduce you all to the vendors who made this giveaway super special!  We are thankful to all of them and we know that all of them will provide you with excellent service for your wedding!

Entry into the giveaway will close at 11:59pm (PST)

Enter HERE!

Bookmark the vendors for future reference:

Blue Petyl - Vintage Brooch Bouquets 

Tessa Kim - Veils and Headpieces

Jen Simpson Designs - Invitations and paper goods

Little Retreats - Photo booth props, paddle signs 

Joyful Joyful - Banners, Flags and Event Planning in Southern California

More from the Vintage Hollywood Glam inspiration shoot! And...meet the Dream Team!

Ashley Bee, the photographer who captured all the GORGEOUS photos of our Vintage Hollywood Glam inspiration shoot, finally posted all the photos from that day on her blog! We have been dying waiting to show you all the images! This inspiration shoot was a dream - in part, thanks to all the wonderful people who came together on that day! Everyone made this easy! Our Vintage Hollywood Glam Giveaway is going on until the end of the month - we hope you will fall in love with this shoot! We hope it will INSPIRE you and that your inspiration will become the wedding you dreamed of when you win all the goodies to make it YOUR glam wedding!

(click on any image to enlarge)

The Tessa Kim headpiece was perfect! And you will win this as part of the giveaway!

Mr. & Mrs. banner by Joyful Joyful on Etsy! This item is also part of the giveaway!

Jen did an amazing job designing these invitations to go with the vintage theme! You will get a set of 25 invitations as seen here!

Mr. & Mrs. paddle signs by Little Retreats on Etsy! This item is also part of the giveaway!

Yes, that is a Bentley courtesy of the Jones Victorian Estate. 

Yes, this gorgeous handmade vintage brooch bouquet is part of the giveaway from Blue Petyl

The new dream team minus Michelle (owner of the Jones Victorian Estate) & myself. We were probably chatting about all things weddings! Jay, Ashley's hubby, took this picture of all the girls who worked so hard on this shoot! From left to right: Jen (Jen Simpson Design), Miso (Miso Bakes), Ashley Bee, Tessa (Asst. Stylist), Erin (Stylist)

Location: Jones Victorian Estate in Orange, CA, 

Items you can win from this shoot as part of the Vintage Hollywood Glam Giveaway:

Dress: Bonny Bridal Spring 2012 Collection style 218 (available in stores January 2012), Vintage Brooch Bouquet by Blue Petyl, Feather fascinator and birdcage veil by Tessa Kim, 25 couture wedding invitation from Jen Simpson Design, Mr and Mrs Banner from Joyful Joyful and the Mr and Mrs/Thank You paddle signs from Little Retreats

We would also like to thank: A BELLE AFFAIRE, A PRETTY YOU, BELLA UMBRELLA, ERIN BERENDA, FLOWER ALLIE, MISO BAKES, the gorgeous SARAH PORTILLO and the handsome CODY LANGAN