***(Lyons wedding – Kate standing)***DEFINITELY USE THIS PHOTO, IT FEATURES THE DRESS

Katie (Lanigan) Lyons found a dress by Marisa on her first visit last year to Julie Allen Bridals & Tuxedos. The dress departed slightly from most bridal gowns in that it wasn’t all white (or even all off-white). The silk satin-silk taffeta strapless gown featured a pleated silk taffeta cummerbund – Kate’s was a very soft blue – with streamers in the same color. The dress also featured a natural waistline.

—Rogers Photography/www.RogersPhoto.com

 

(Lyons wedding – Kate and Edward)

Kate and Edward Lyons, during their wedding reception.

—Rogers Photography/www.RogersPhoto.com

 

 

(Lyons wedding – bridesmaids)

Sarah McQuilkin, Kate (Lanigan) Lyons’ maid of honor, and Megan Legan, the bride’s sister, share a laugh.

—Rogers Photography/www.RogersPhoto.com

 

 

(Lyons wedding – Kate with mother)

Susan Wolf with her daughter, Katherine (Lanigan) Lyons.

—Rogers Photography/www.RogersPhoto.com

 

 

(Lyons wedding – Kate & Ed, church)

Kate Lanigan married Edward Lyons in Newport, R.I., on June 29, 2004.

—Rogers Photography/www.RogersPhoto.com

 

 

(Lyons wedding – Kate with father)

Kate (Lanigan) Lyons with her father, Richard V. Lanigan.

—photo courtesy Susan Wolf

 

 

(Lyons wedding – Kate with parents)

Kate Lanigan with her parents, Susan Wolf and Richard Lanigan.

—photo courtesy Susan Wolf

 

***DEFINITELY USE THIS; IT FEATURES THE DRESS

(Francis wedding – Julie close-up)

Julie Cantatore visited Julie Allen Bridals last year specifically to attend a Matthew Christopher trunk show. She met the designer and worked with him to get her dress – an ivory silk tissue taffeta sleeveless gown with satin straps, embroidered crystal beaded tulle insert on the molded scoop neckline and a flat front modified A-line skirt – absolutely perfect for her wedding day.

—photo courtesy Ann Francis

 

(Francis wedding – bubbles & church)

Jonathan Francis, Esq and Julie Cantatore were married on August 7, 2004, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scarsdale, N.Y.

—photo courtesy Ann Francis

 

(Francis wedding – Jonathan & Julie dancing)

Jonathan and Julie Francis celebrated their August 2004 wedding with a reception at The Rye Town Hilton in Rye, N.Y. Mr Francis is a former Newtown resident.

—photo courtesy Ann Francis

 

(Francis wedding – Jonathan with bridesmaids)

Julie Cantatore’s bridesmaids – here surrounding Julie’s husband, Jonathan Francis, Esq. – wore dresses from the Jim Hjelm Occasions collection. The matte taffeta strapless A-line gown featured a dropped waist, plus back and side pleats with bow detail. Julie selected rosewater as her color.

—photo courtesy Ann Francis

(Francis wedding – Julie’s flower girls)

Julie Cantatore’s flower girls wore the coordinating junior bridesmaid dresses to the dresses Julie’s bridesmaids wore. Also done in matte taffeta, the younger girls’ dresses were A-line gowns that featured a natural waist and a gathered skirt.

—photo courtesy Ann Francis

 

 

 

 

Julie Allen Bridals: Where They Dress Their Own

By Shannon Hicks

The staff of Julie Allen Bridals & Tuxedos, LLC, a full-service bridal boutique at 154 Main Street South in Newtown, knows how important it is to find the perfect wedding gown for a client. In the 35 years since the store’s namesake, Julie Allen, launched her business, thousands of gowns have been matched to brides and bridesmaids (and an equal number of tuxedos have been set up for grooms and their attendants).

Many women find their way to Julie Allen’s based on the store’s reputation: Since opening in April 1970, Julie Allen Bridals has become one of the largest bridal stores in the state, and it remains a privately owned entity.

Sometimes a bride finds her way to Julie Allen Bridals on instinct. This happened at least twice during the past year, when two brides found their wedding gowns at the shop where they had close ties to its staff.

Ann Francis, who has worked “off and on” at Julie Allen’s for 13 years, was there when her future daughter-in-law found her wedding gown last spring. When Julie Cantatore married Jonathan Francis, Esq, on August 7, 2004, her dress came from Julie Allen’s. The wedding ceremony was at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scarsdale, N.Y., followed by a reception at the Rye Town Hilton, Rye, N.Y.

“I worked with her, but didn’t want to push because she’s my daughter-in-law,” Mrs Francis said. “Her sister and mother were there with her, but it was exciting to be there with him.”

Julie Cantatore visited the bridal boutique during a Matthew Christopher trunk show.

“He’s a sweet guy, very talented,” Mrs Francis said of the New York City-based designer. “I just wanted Julie to meet him.

“She was really easy, too,” Mrs Francis continued. “She tried on maybe six dresses, and the one she selected was probably the second one she pulled off the rack. It was a little different, and it was just perfect.”

The dress Julie selected was an ivory silk “tissue” taffeta sleeveless gown with satin spaghetti straps and an embroidered crystal beaded tulle insert at the front of its molded scoop neckline. There was also some beading at its dropped waist, which went into a flat front modified A-line skirt. Soft pleating highlighted the back of the dress, which had a circular skirt sweep train.

For Kate (Lanigan) Lyons and her mother, Susan Wolf, finding the right gown was also like going home.

Susan, who lived in Newtown until four years ago, worked for Julie Allen Bridals from 1996 until 2001. Kate, who now lives in Massachusetts with her husband, also worked at the boutique while she was a student at Newtown High School. Kate grew up in Newtown; after she graduated from NHS, she went to the University of Connecticut and earned an associate’s degree in equine studies.

After graduation from UConn, Kate met her future husband, Edward Lyons. She recently finished her degree studies for biology.

Kate and Edward dated for four years. They became engaged during Christmas 2003. Their wedding was on June 29, 2004, with a reception at Bay Village Inn in Jamestown, R.I.

“I would never have wanted to go any place else for Katie’s wedding gown,” Susan said. “I sometimes worried — before we began looking — that we wouldn’t find anything. But I shouldn’t have worried.”

Kate picked a dress by Marissa, one of the lines carried at Julie Allen Bridals. It was a strapless white silk satin gown with inverted pleats and a silk taffeta pale blue sash.

Interestingly, while the brides do not know each other, both chose the same matte taffeta Jim Hjelms Occasions style dress for their bridesmaids. Julie’s bridesmaids wore rosewater, and Kate’s bridesmaids wore the dresses in honeydew.