Black & Gold Sequins | Fall 2014 Collection

For my third runway show, I focused on black, gold, and ivory - I designed and started making the collection while I was in NYC (my husband had an internship that summer) so I had access to all the best fabric stores. I was able to find some stunning sequin fabrics and some of these dresses have been my most popular items to date.

Cream Sequin Wedding Dress, Gold Sequin Sweatshirt + Tulle Skirt, Gold Brocade Hi-Low Metallic Wedding Gown, Hand Embellished Brocade Top + Pencil Skirt, Gold Metallic Dot Gather Skirt + Hand Embellished Beaded Sequin Tee, Shimmer Gold Wedding Dress with Floral Embellished Details and Open Back, Gold Metallic Pleated Dress, Black & Gold Floral Sequin Top + Pencil Skirt, Gold Embellished Sequin Pants + Black Top, Black Feather Pencil Skirt + Lace Crop Top, Black Sequin Crop Top + Hi-Low Ruffle Skirt, Black Sheer Hand Embellished Beaded Tank Shimmer Dress, Black Tulle Ballgown with Ivory Sequin Top: Bree Lena

Models: Melanie, Kristin, Abby

Cream Sequin Wedding Gown available in the “SHOP” section - click here

Tulle Skirt available in the “SHOP” section - click here

Runway Show | Fall 2014

This was my third collection and I was especially excited about it because I spent the summer in NYC designing and fabric shopping. I was able to find some gorgeous fabrics and I found so much inspiration being back in the city. I absolutely LOVED how the collection turned out. It is so completely 100% me. Black, creams, and gold with sequins, glitter, and glam everywhere!! 

Clothing: Bree Lena

Photographers: Rachel Green, Ryan Houston, Mike Johnson, Dream with Me, LC Photography

Models: Makenna, Alexis, Mercedes, Dania, Kat, Kristin, Ciera, Brit, Melanie, Madison, Abby, Kristin

Bree Lena's Wedding Day | Beaded Sequin Dress

Part two of my wedding - the ceremony and reception.

At one point in my life I wanted to be a wedding planner - I soon realized I LOVED planning my own wedding but didn’t really want to do it for other people. I designed and planned my whole wedding (with the help of my sweet mother - who also works as a seamstress for Bree Lena) from the decorations (painting frames (this was before gold was so readily available), glittering candles, making tassels and confetti, painting canvases, and a photo wall documenting our relationship) to the invitations to the bridesmaid skirts (and I beaded the Maid of Honor’s sleeves to be similar to mine). We had a catered dinner and a huge dessert bar with about 8 different types. It was a lot of work but it was everything I dreamed of.

Photography: REBEKAH WESTOVER

Custom Gown and Veil: Bree Lena

Hair and Makeup: JANELLE AT VERSA ARTISTRY

Bridesmaids & Maid of Honor Attire: Bree Lena (skirts, beading) and J. CREW (sequin tops, mint gown)

Groom’s custom suit and shirt: DRESS CODE

Floral Design: Bella Fleur

Reception Location: THE MANOR AT THE RIVERWOODS PROVO, UT

Wedding Invitation: ANN ELIZABETH

Cake: THE CHOCOLATE

BREE LENA'S WEDDING | Beaded Sequin Floral Dress

Here is a quote from when I was featured on Utah Bride Blog in 2013 about my wedding gown:

“Taylor and I met and started dating when we were 15, almost 8 years later we finally tied the knot! I was not only ecstatic about marrying my sweetheart and best friend, but I was also so excited to plan our wedding and most importantly, design and make my dress. I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan where I received my degree in Fashion Design. I have always loved formal dresses, especially wedding gowns. I made all of my high school prom and homecoming dresses and have been designing my dream wedding gown ever since I can remember. When I started making my gown in September 2012 I knew exactly what I wanted the bottom half of the gown to be like because the design in my head had remained the same for the past few years, I had even purchased all of the fabric years ago. The top half of the gown did not come to me until I was completely done with the bottom and needed to solidify a bodice design. I am so inspired by Elie Saab so naturally I was searching for pictures of his work and I stumbled across a gorgeous gown which became my inspiration. Over 275 hours and more than 3,000 beads later, my gown was complete. I designed and sewed every bit of it from start to finish and I could not be happier. I feel like a sparkle princess and I never stop smiling whenever I have it on because everything turned out exactly how I had always dreamed. This is the second wedding gown I have made and I cannot wait to make more unique and beautiful custom gowns in the future. Nothing makes me happier than my handsome groom, sequins, gorgeous gowns, and weddings!”

Well, it’s been almost 6 years since then (2019) and still nothing makes me happier than my handsome groom, sequins, gorgeous gowns, and weddings! I’ve made quite a few more dresses since then and hand-beaded for many more hours and still my wedding dress is one of my favorite creations. It’s basically the reason I started sewing and designing. I always wanted to make beautiful gowns that were unique that I couldn’t find in stores - my wedding gown was no different. From my first high-school homecoming dress I designed in 2006 to now, making unique and beautiful gowns has always been my passion.

Dress: Bree Lena

Photography: Rebekah Westover

Hair and Makeup: Versa Artistry

Early Designs | Sequin Maxi Skirt

I started designing dresses when I was in high school (if I’m being honest, my first actual design was in elementary school. I had a favorite dress that I grew out of and was so sad about it, so I went to JoAnn’s with my mom and we picked out a coordinating fabric. We cut up the dress (it was a cotton stripe pink/orange/yellow (my childhood favorite colors) shift dress, and used the extra fabric (hot pink satin) to make a new skirt - I really wish I had a photo of it! In high school I made two homecoming dresses and two prom dresses, with a few other skirts/dresses in between.

After high school I moved to NYC to study Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). I received my Associate degree in 2010 and then went on to business school at Brigham Young University (BYU), where I received my Bachelor degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Marketing in 2014. While at BYU I participated in my first fashion show in 2013.

Here are a few of my first designs from high school/FIT/first fashion show.

Katie's Wedding | Gold Sequin Gown

My best friend from FIT commissioned me to make her wedding gown in 2011, it was the first time I ever used this champagne sequin fabric which forever changed my life. She basically inspired my entire brand of sequin sparkly dresses/skirts! I’m grateful for her faith in me as a newly graduated fashion designer.