Hawthorne Plaza, Otherwise Known as Wedding Central
Perhaps The Knot sums up this year’s top wedding trend best. Welcome to the “Year of Intentionality.” Usually, wedding trends encompass venues, themes and décor, wedding and bridesmaid dress silhouettes, color palettes, floral designs, engagement and wedding ring styles. And, to a degree, they still do.
Weddings as a whole have been trending toward creating intimate, curated moments, even within large, elaborate events. Now, as couples plan their weddings amid a pandemic, intentional and intimate are guiding couples’ decisions. From the engagement to the honeymoon, Hawthorne Plaza is wedding shopping central with Overland Park’s renowned boutiques like TIVOL, Nolte’s, Tip Top Tux and cuorebella for the essentials and clair de lune, PAINT Nail Bar, Swimwear Solution, Bag & Baggage and Hawthorne Animal Plaza for the details. Grab your wedding planner and head to Hawthorne Plaza. Wedding shopping made fun, personal and easy.
With This Ring…
TIVOL is the iconic destination for engagement and wedding rings in the Kansas City metro. With so many styles to choose from, figuring out the perfect engagement ring design can be overwhelming. Your engagement and wedding rings are one of the most important and meaningful purchases you will ever make—both symbols of your love and commitment. TIVOL has a team of experts at Hawthorne Plaza to assist you in selecting the perfect engagement ring be it a solitaire, three-stone, halo or something uniquely you.
The One and Only Nolte’s Bridal
Nolte’s Bridal is renowned for a personal and intimate experience in discovering your dream wedding gown, as well as Michael Nolte’s wedding planning. Brides go to Nolte’s for exceptional gowns for themselves and their mothers. In fact, 80% of the dresses selected are custom designs. The collection opens at $3,500. Evening gowns open at $1,000. Brides consistently post their appreciation for Nolte’s keen eye for choosing gowns perfectly designed to accentuate their style and body type.
Beyond bridal dresses, Nolte is a celebrated wedding planner extraordinaire. He’s considered the best because he’s been doing it longer than anyone in Kansas City. Thirty-nine years of experience is an incredible amount of exposure to every possible “worst-case” scenario. Nolte knows the best vendors in each category (and knows how to assess the potential of new vendors as well). He predicts issues before they arise and troubleshoots a surprise with quick authority. He calls this keeping his clients in a “bliss bubble.” Sounds perfect, and it is.
With wedding dates delayed, events smaller and navigating new norms, Nolte is an invaluable source of information and inspiration.
SEE WHY NOLTE’S MAKES ALL THE “BEST OF” LISTS
Sharp-Dressed Man
Tip Top Tux makes it simple to look sharp with tuxes and suits in every fit for purchase or rental. The Tip Top Tux team understands that you don’t have to be an expert in selecting formal wear to look like one. They offer simple hacks to smooth the process of choosing your look for your big day. Whether your wedding is formal or casual, at a local venue or far-away destination, this is the place where you’ll find every style, color and accessories to match the occasion and your style.
Custom-Designed Invitations and Stationery
cuorebella is the source for custom-designed save-the-date cards, wedding invitations, rescheduled wedding date cards and thank you cards. Each design is uniquely created by cuorebella’s in-house graphic designer, watercolor artist and owner Trish Church Podlasek. From font choice to color palette to elegantly illustrated and hand-assembled envelope liners, Trish creates your personalized stationery, invitations and announcements to make a striking first impression.
The Bridal Lingerie
clair de lune is a lingerie & bra boutique where expert fitters know their craft. So much so that they can magically elevate your gown and your party’s dresses beyond perfection. Seriously, the right undergarments can change a silhouette and thus the way a dress drapes and fits. Not to mention, some dress cuts require specialty bras or panties. clair de lune’s fitters have wowed many brides, bridesmaids and mothers with their vast collections and designers.
clair de lune is a fun and unique venue for hosting bachelorette parties, bridal showers or simply a special occasion for your squad. Enjoy the boutique all to yourselves for a private, expert lingerie fitting. clair de lune’s staff coordinates all the details with you to create a personalized social and shopping experience. Typically, clair de lune can accommodate up to 15 guests, but with social distancing, currently 10 guests are the limit.
Let’s not forget the post-wedding festivities. From the wedding night to the honeymoon, shop here for jaw-dropping, stunningly flattering bra and panties, bodysuits, chemises, robes and sleepwear from top designers, including Chantelle, Elomi, Fantasie, Hanky Panky, Rya, Simone Perele, Samantha Chang and Fleur’t/Montelle to name a few.
A Gorgeous Manicure
PAINT Nail Bar ensures your manicure is as stunning as your ring. After all, your hands are going to be front and center once a you have “a ring on it.” This goes for the wedding day and the photography, too. PAINT Nail Bar is a luxurious experience and is a fume-free environment with elegant décor, premium 5-7-9 free polishes and high sterilization processes.
Parties are available to treat your bridal party to a mani/pedi experience before the big day. PAINT’s staff will make sure you and your guests have a night or day to remember. They can make all the arrangements for food, beverages, and décor, or work with you hand-in-hand to assume whatever role you wish.
The Honeymoon, Minimoon or Massivemoon
Bag & Baggage lets you head off on your first adventure as a married couple in style. With travel restrictions and unknowns changing many couples’ travel plans, we’re seeing “minimoons” to locations closer to home and “massivemoons” planned for later when traveling returns to normal. Whether you’re traveling near or far, Bag & Baggage is the place to go for quality luggage and travel essentials you’ll need to stay safe. Bonus points for free monogramming.
The Swimsuit and Beach or Resort Wear
Swimwear Solution has been Overland Park women’s secret for finding a fantastic, flattering swimsuit for years. If your honeymoon involves whisking each other away to a beach resort or tropical vacation, trust Swimwear Solution to have the perfect swimsuit, along with coverups, hats, sunglasses, resort wear and accessories.
With more than 8,000 swimsuits in stock, Swimwear Solution has this season’s styles in one-piece, two-piece, tankini, high-waisted and ruffled for all body shapes whether you’re a pear, apple, hourglass or rectangle. Their staff is always ready to provide expertise. The hardest part won’t be finding a suit you feel amazing in, but narrowing down all your options. Their dressing rooms are divine. You won’t find harsh lighting or distorting mirrors here.
Give Your Pets Their Own Vacation
Hawthorne Animal Hospital offers caring and attentive pet boarding so you can enjoy your wedding night and honeymoon without worrying about your “furry children.” Their healthcare team knows how stressful it can be to leave your pet, but rest assured a DVM is on call. Their team loves pets and will treat yours as if they were their own. To minimize stress, they will feed your pet according to your instructions and accommodate any special needs, including medications, to keep your pet healthy and happy. They’re happy to give you a tour of their boarding facilities.