It took about a full minute or sixty seconds for more than a thousand wedding gowns to disappear off the racks at a known wedding store last week.

According to reports, brides-to-be rushed at Filene’s Basement, a Massachusetts-based store, during its one-day sale. The event is called “Running of the Brides.”

The event is compared from the famous event that takes place in Pamplona, Spain – the “Running of the Bulls.” The Filene’s event has been happening for more than fifty years. It started in 1947 at the store’s Boston branch.

In the Columbus area alone, more than 400 people rushed in the store despite the cold weather. According to store manager Linda Weiss, the event has brought joy to the consumers. She’s been a witness of the event for the past decade.

Weiss revealed that some customers came from other cities just to take part in this event.

Livia Giuggioli, the wife of British actor Colin Firth, wore a second-hand wedding dress to the recently concluded Golden Globe Awards as part of an environment-friendly challenge.

Giuggioli revealed that she got many compliments about her dress. She stressed that she wore the ensemble as part of a challenge to wear only “ethical and sustainable” clothes and make-up during the awards season. She boldly stated that no one seems to think about this.

Giuggioli said that this is the first time where she got numerous compliments about her dress in a single night. She jokingly said that what made her night was the fact she got to kiss Hollywood actor George Clooney.

Giuggioli accompanied her husband who was nominated for his role in the film “The Single Man.”

Duffield’s Mimi Toko Bridal Boutique, a leading wedding shop that has provided great wedding dresses to brides to be, has been shortlisted for a National Award.
The wedding boutique has been nominated at the 2010 Bridal Buyer Awards under the best online retailer category.

Store manager Amy Greenhalgh said that they were overwhelmed with the nomination. She revealed that major social networking sites such as Facebook and their regularly updated blog site have helped secure the nomination.

She said that brides to be these days are using the internet to do research on wedding dresses and their site has provided the much needed information and tips.

The store, which opened 15 years ago, has made a name in the community for the past few years. Mimi Toko has dressed Alexandra Burke and Stacey Solomon of X Factor.

The store has also resorted to providing reasonably priced wedding dresses to adjust with the global financial crisis.

A one-stop shop for bridal accessories and gowns will soon be launched at a gold and jewelry complex in Bahcelievler district called Kuyumcukent.

According to reports, the Wedding Mall is set for a grand launch in February.

Customers will no longer travel from one store to another just to find wedding-themed items ranging from bridal accessories, to gowns and to home decors which are usually bought after the wedding.

The first floor of the Wedding Mall will feature textile items, the second floor will have assorted retailers selling affordable draperies and many more.

Kuyumcukent Chairman Kemal Merim said that the aim of the shopping mall is to meet all the wedding needs of the couple. He added that a number of luxury stores will also open to target the VIP market.

Merim revealed that despite the global financial crisis, the shopping mall has been filled with retailers, an indication that the market is stronger than ever.

About 14 bridal gowns were stolen from a designer’s shop in Armadale last night, according to media reports.
The authorities were called to Manuell & Moore about 11 pm. The front window has been smashed with the designer dresses, costing up to $80,000 missing. The designer is famous for the exquisite bridal gowns and matching bridal lingerie.

The police officials immediately scoured the areas for the offenders and they found about eleven of the stolen items at the back of an apartment block nearby. The three unaccounted bridal gowns are valued between $10,000 and $20,000.

The store shot to fame for the past few years after Manuell & Moore provided the dress for Amy Pollard, known to be the beau of Luke Ball of Saint-turned-Magpie, during the 2005 Brownlow Medal.

In last year’s event, the store gained more popularity for providing the dresses for popular personalities such as Olivia Anderson, Lauren Kirkman and Sonja Roberts.

The sixty-eight year old public official, wearing a traditional Zulu dress married 37-year old Thobeka Stacey Mabhija during a colorful and lavish ceremony that was attended by more than three thousand guests at his hometown of eNkandla, located at a remote village in KwaZulu-Natal province. The bride also wore a traditional wedding dress.

Zuma’s brother Mike said that the affair was a traditional one filled with celebrating and dancing. He added that it was a happy day for the newlyweds and for the Zuma family.

The couple already has three children together and were married in accordance to the country’s laws.

Mabhija accepted Zuma as her husband during the ceremony by performing a solo dance which included brandishing a spear and a shield in the middle of the field.

Chanel India’s head of public relations and press Marielou Phillips revealed that there’s an increasing demand for gold bags and bridal accessories in the country due to the Indian’s preference to something gold and the holiday season only heightens up the interest due to weddings and other special occasions usually being held at this time of the year.

Phillips revealed that they noted a spike in sales of bridal accessories and bags during Diwali, Christmas and New Year. Also gaining public attention are dresses, skirts and jumpsuits since these clothes were seen being worn by popular celebrities Ramona Narang Rodella and Shilpa Shetty, known fashion icons in the country.

Christian Dior Couture Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kalyani Chawla agrees that gold is a trend in the country, adding that gold skirts are also making waves among Indian women.

With wedding suits in place, the supporters of a gay couple who’s bidding to become the first in Argentina to tie the knot said that they will continue with the ceremony despite the hold placed by an Argentine judge on this matter.

Reports revealed that national judge Marta Gomez Alsina has ordered the blockage of the planned gay wedding until an issue can be made by the Supreme Court.

Alex Freyre, and his partner Jose Maria Di Bello are scheduled to get married on Tuesday based on the green light issued by a Buenos Aires-based judge. However, the hold will advertently affect the couple’s plans.

Argentine Federation for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals President Maria Rachid said that everyone was shocked with the news and saddened that the ceremony will not take place as planned. However, Rachid said that the group may organize a protest on this matter if the civil wedding will not push through.

There were rumors surrounding the alleged engagement of lovers Kate Hudson and Alex Rodriguez after the actress was seen wearing an expensive-looking diamond ring last week.

Magazines reported that Hudson was seen wearing a $39,000-worth Louis Vuitton ring. The said jewelry is composed of many diamonds and pink sapphires that were set in a white gold band.

Speculations arose that this is indeed an engagement ring.
Aside from this development, the actress is reportedly looking around for bridal gowns which could signal an impending marriage to Rodriguez, part of the World Series’ winning team New York Yankees.

Hudson is regularly seen watching the Yankees’ games this season. She and Rodriguez have remained mum on their love life but are always seen hanging out together. However, the media is already used to the couple’s denials, stating that in the past their denials have been proven false and would eventually admit to the relationship.

Vintage wedding dresses are making a grand comeback in this generation, thanks to the continuing interest by individuals to the gowns worn in the 1800s.

According to reports, a bridal show will be staged at the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Claudelands this weekend. One of the models that will feature the 19th century vintage wedding dresses is Catherine Gault, a Hamilton-based nurse.

Gault said that the wedding dress that she’s about to wear during the show came from her great-great- grandmother’s cousin named Mary Crabb. The two piece dress was said to have been found by Crabb’s daughters in the fifties in good condition and has been kept well since.

The bridal show was organized to help raise funds for church repairs and other community activities.

The St Andrew’s Bridal Show will feature more than thirty vintage wedding dresses from the 1800s to the 1940s. Modern gowns will be featured as well.