On April 18th, Over Easy Events will be hosting The Wedding Dress Ball, a celebration of romance, timeless fashion, and happily ever after at Propcellars Vintage Rentals. A chance for brides to wear their wedding dress again while raising funds for St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen, the event is sponsored by Maggie Louise Bridal, the premiere Bridal Boutique in Memphis.

While I myself have never been married, I couldn’t resist teaming up with owner Molly Farrell to play dress up with one of my favorite models Peyton Couch and showcasing some of their dreamy designer frocks. While many attendees will be wearing old gowns and (possibly) horrific bridesmaids dresses, I thought, let’s give them a few dreamy options just in case they’re on the hunt for something new. I also reached out to Brittney Andres-Rossi, owner of Over Easy Events, to get the lowdown on the Wedding Dress Ball, and what she’d do differently for her nuptials if she had the chance.

Anne Barge Beloved wedding Gown

Tell us a little about your company Over Easy Events.
Over Easy Events is an event planning and venue management firm specializing in food & beverage-focused events. Our expertise is in how to pull off particular meals, like a 12-course dinner in the middle of a field, and how to elevate, celebrate and feature food and drink at events. We pride ourselves on thinking outside the box. Our favorite events are those with creative, unusual concepts and the ones that challenge us to come up with novel, thoughtful decor. We tailor our design to each client’s taste, goals, theme and mission.

The Wedding Dress Ball is such a unique concept for an event. What inspired you to host an event like this on such a large scale?
The idea came about at a table of women during a friend’s wedding; after complimenting the bride’s dress we ended up all talking about our own for almost an hour, down to the tiniest details. It seemed to
me if we all loved our wedding dresses that much, there must be others out there who felt the same way and would love to put them on again. Who wants their favorite-dress-in-the-world to waste away in a closet?

How did you select St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen as the charity for the night?
I began volunteering at St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen shortly after I got married in Memphis two years ago. A lot of people my age – newlyweds, young professionals – don’t know that the oldest continuously operating soup kitchen in the country is right here in Memphis. In fact, many people don’t know anything about St. Mary’s work, so the Wedding Dress Ball seemed like a great opportunity to increase awareness for them. There is very little overhead and the staff and volunteers work tirelessly to make a little go a long way. I want the Wedding Dress Ball to support organizations with the most need, when they need it, so St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen seemed like a great fit for 2015.

Leona May Gown by Heidi Elnora, Overlay Skirt by Anne Barge

Leona May Gown by Heidi Elnora, Overlay Skirt by Anne Barge

What was your look/theme for your own wedding? Would you do anything differently (hair, makeup, etc.)?
I’m almost embarrassed to talk about the theme and look of my own wedding. Suffice it to say there was a lot of burlap, light pink and mason jars. At the time, shabby chic was all the rage and romantic. But what you think is a classic look all of the sudden is an (old) trend.

Would I change anything for a 2013 wedding? No way. It was great at the time and guests still talk about how pretty it was. And I’m sure it will come back in style, eventually. But if I had a wedding in 2015, it would be very different. As for hair and makeup, I would do things differently. I had bought a bold red lipstick for the wedding and chickened out at the last minute. I wanted a ballerina bun but a family member talked me out of it. You’d better believe you will see both at the Wedding Dress Ball!

What’s the overall style for the Wedding Dress Ball?
This year’s Wedding Dress Ball’s style is festive-fun: lush florals, bright pops of color, hints of tropical. Inspired by watercolor (specifically the custom painting that local artist Molly Van Roekel created for our website and postcards), the concept is perfect for spring.

Olia Zabozina Diana Gown, Amanda Judge Necklace

Olia Zabozina Diana Gown, Amanda Judge Necklace

If you’ve never been married, but still want to attend, what’s a good outfit idea?
The idea is a party where it’d finally be appropriate to put your wedding gown back on, if you want; but really it’s also a chance to wear anything you thought you never would again. A lot of ladies are wearing the bridesmaid dresses; I even know one bride who said she’s using this as an opportunity to wear one of her own bridesmaids’ dresses form her wedding. Another person bought a prom dress from this year’s season, and a lot of women are wearing ball gowns they bought for various charity events or military or sorority balls. Some folks are renting dresses – ball gowns they never had a reason to wear before, or a slinky number they’ve had their eye on since before black tie weddings became less common.

What are you most looking forward to that night?
I cannot wait to see the decor that Kristin (Everbloom Designs) and Sarah (Kind Crawford) are constructing for the occasion based on some of our original inspirations (bold colors, watercolor, etc.) But of course, being me, I am most looking forward to the food. CFY Catering is incredible. They can produce restaurant-quality food on a huge scale, which is really special. I’ve been nothing but impressed with their food and their seasonally-driven cocktails, as well as their service (which is huge to me.) So, as per normal, I can’t wait for the short ribs.

Mikela 1908 Gown

Mikela 1908 Gown

Where can people learn more about Over Easy Events?
Our website is www.planovereasy.com, though we keep it simple online. Like all good things in the South, you’ll hear about us by word of mouth. More samples of our work can be found on our Facebook Page.

Visit www.weddingdressball.org to learn more about the Wedding Dress Ball and to purchase tickets. I had so much fun with Peyton, Molly, and her friend Kyle during this shoot (I try to make every session a party). Her showroom is absolutely gorgeous and I seriously wanted to move in there, lol.

Are you attending the Wedding Dress Ball?

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